About Steve Young
Proven Leadership Delivering Results for Our Community
Steve Young, a lifelong Californian, graduated from UC Berkeley with a BA in 1973 and earned an MA in Urban Policy and Administration from San Francisco State University in 1975. He began his career in local government in 1976, working for the City of Vallejo's Community Development program. Steve spent nearly 30 years working in local governments in California and Virginia, focusing on affordable housing development, code enforcement, and managing neighborhood improvement programs.
As Director of Community Development for the Sacramento Housing and Redevelopment Agency, he oversaw the conversion of the decommissioned Mather and McClellan Air Force Bases, administered the Community Development Block Grant program, and worked on preserving the delta town of Locke. After retiring in 2008, Steve and his family lived in Costa Rica, allowing his daughter to experience a different culture for four years.
Upon returning to California and settling in Benicia, Steve was appointed to the Planning Commission (2012-2016), where he led the effort to defeat the Crude by Rail proposal. In 2016, he was elected to the City Council as Vice Mayor, and in 2020, he was elected Mayor by a 20-point margin over two challengers.
As Mayor, Steve guided the city through the pandemic, focusing on assisting businesses and residents, organizing vaccination clinics, and implementing strong public health measures. Benicia was the first city in Solano County to adopt masking requirements. He is known for supporting clean local elections and strongly opposing negative campaigns funded by corporations and unions. He has worked to simplify bureaucratic rules that hinder reasonable development by reducing the levels of approvals and fees for property improvements in the Heritage districts and downtown. As the city's financial situation worsened, he led the Council in supporting a three-part path to resiliency: new economic development, reduced city spending through personnel reductions, and new revenue (taxes). In March, Benicia voters approved Measures A and B by a historic 72% margin.
Steve also serves the community through his appointments to several regional boards, including the Solano Transportation Authority (Chair in 2023), Solano County Water Agency, Solano County Transit (SolTrans), Bay Area Air Quality Management District (BAAQMD), and California Council of Governments. As a BAAQMD board member, Mayor Young successfully lobbied for a change in policy returning a portion of Air District penalties to the affected cities, which will help Benicia to address local air quality problems. He also convinced BAAQMD to install and pay for an Air Monitoring station downtown.
More About Steve
News and Views
Mayor Steve Young on the Benicia Voice Podcast
On October 7, Mayor Steve Young was the featured guest on the Benicia Voice podcast, a local production hosted by Ruben Brunt and available on Spotify.
This episode offers residents a unique opportunity to hear directly from Mayor Young on key issues affecting the community as they prepare to make informed decisions in the upcoming election.
Save the Benicia Voice on Spotify to catch future episodes featuring Mayor Steve coming up on October 10 and October 14.
A small-city mayor takes on big oil and political propaganda
By Mark Z. Zabarak, Columnist for the Los Angeles Times
BENICIA, Calif. — Steve Young could have enjoyed a nice, quiet retirement in this charming waterfront community in the northern part of the Bay Area.
But Young is a sociable type and was eager to make new acquaintances after he and his wife moved here in 2012. He’s not the kind to hang out in bars, the 70-year-old Young said, and he doesn’t play any competitive sports. So one way to meet folks, he figured, was to serve on a local board or commission.
After several interviews, Young landed a spot on Benicia’s Planning Commission; it helped that he had spent his career in local government, retiring as a leader of Sacramento’s Housing and Redevelopment Agency. His appointment to the commission led to his election to the City Council, which in turn positioned Young for a successful 2020 run for mayor — and a fight with the oil company that looms large in this small city.
Mark Z. Barabak / Los Angeles Times