Benicia News: School Board race, new business funding and developers target local hawk

School Board candidate deadline approaches  Updated Aug. 8: Three seats on the Benicia Unified School District Board of Trustees were open for election this November – the deadline to file was extended to Aug. 12 at 5 p.m. Why it matters: Board members will continue to face tough budget decisions

Will Benicia City Council incumbents run unopposed? Deadline to file is Friday

Two seats on Benicia City Council are up for election in November. The deadline for filing candidacy is Friday.

Benicia Ballot: Charter city, property transfer tax proposals head to November polls

Benicians will decide whether the City adopts a limited charter and property transfer tax when they head to the November 3 polls after the City Council adopted resolutions to move the measures forward on Tuesday. Voters rejected similar proposals two years ago.  City Council members approved a resolution to allow

Benicia News: Rose Estates public comment opens & who pays for Valero redevelopment?

Long time, no see, hey?  We set out to fill a gap in local, original reporting here in Benicia with this newsletter. And then, unexpectedly, we spent the last several months building much more. It's been a blur of meetings, business filings, considering grant applications, and conversations with

Valero redevelopment: Who will pay for new roads, service lines, parks?

Plus, read Signature Development Group's latest report submitted to the City of Benicia Valero-contracted Signature Development Group may submit a formal planning application to the City of Benicia as soon as this fall to redevelop the energy company’s 900 acres along East Second Street. The developer’

Benicia Art: A Phoenix rises on First Street in new mural

A Phoenix has risen on Benicia’s First Street in a new mural with the intention of inspiring hope and lifting each other together through change in uncertain times.  Bay Area artists Kemit Amenophis and Mike D’Amelio began painting the large public art piece in May on the north-

Benicia News: Arts Festival, Business License Tax and Voting day!

Today is the last day to vote in the California Primary Election. Here’s the info you need to get your ballot in if you haven’t done so already. Even if you forgot to register, you can still vote.  To vote in person, find your polling place here.  Ballots

Benicia News: When will your street get fixed?

In a few months, Benicians can expect to start seeing an uptick in long-overdue road repairs, starting around Cambridge Drive. The construction ushers in a four-year plan to fix Benicia’s failing roads, overwhelmingly funded by money raised through Measure F, a half-cent sales tax approved by

When is your Benicia street getting fixed? Find out.

Recent sales tax increases will help fund about $5.5 million in annual street paving over the next four years across most of Benicia.  Why it matters:  * Benicia’s 198 miles of city streets received a D grade in 2026, scoring 52 out of 100 on the Pavement Conditions Index,

Q & A: Valero fined another $3.25 million for 118 air quality violations at Benicia refinery

Valero Refining Company has agreed to pay $3.25 million to the Bay Area Air District to settle 118 violations of air quality rules in Benicia, California.

Swings will soon return to downtown’s Playground of Dreams

Swings will be installed at the Playground of Dreams on First Street in Benicia within the next six weeks. The historic wooden play structure at the downtown park requires major restoration work that won't likely begin until 2030.

Benicia News: Valero's exit, city finances, and Opening Day on the Strait

Welcome to The Benicia Bridge newsletter. It’s official: after nearly 60 years as a refinery town, Benicia’s stacks have gone cold. Valero officially stopped refining at its Benicia plant with no plans to start up again. What does that mean for the City's finances? The City