Richmond Weighs $120M Fire Bond as Antioch Sets Nov. 14 Coat Drive

Voters in Richmond are deciding on Tuesday whether to approve Measure Q, a $120 million general obligation bond to repair, replace, and reconstruct the city's 7 aging fire stations, according to a report by Casey Tomchek in Richmond Confidential. Meanwhile in East Contra Costa County, Truth Bearer International Bay Area church, One Warm Coat, and the Antioch Police Department announced a free community coat giveaway at Antioch City Park for Saturday, Nov. 14, according to the Antioch Herald.

Richmond Voters Weigh $120 Million Measure Q Fire Station Bond

Placed on the November ballot by the Richmond City Council in July, Measure Q requires approval from two-thirds of voters to authorize $120 million in bonds for the Richmond Fire Department, which serves more than 115,000 residents and responded to roughly 40 incidents per day in 2025 across 7 stations.

According to Capt. Marcus Faumui, president of Richmond Firefighters Local 188 (who joined the department in 2017), every station in the city requires repairs after years of deferred maintenance involving mold, asbestos, leaky roofs, exhaust leaks, and faulty emergency alerting tones that require firefighters to sleep with backup radios on at 2 a.m.:

• Stations No. 66, No. 67, and No. 63: Stations No. 66 (on Clinton Avenue in the North & East neighborhood) and No. 67 (at Cutting Boulevard and 12th Street, south of the Iron Triangle) were built around World War II and likely require full replacement; moreover, one of the city's 2 aerial ladder trucks cannot fit inside central Station 67 and must be stationed at the southern end of the city. Even Richmond's newest facility, Station No. 63 (built in the 1990s), suffers from severe foundation cracks and slanted floors where firefighters place blocks beneath their beds.
• Tax Impact and Chevron Settlement Debate: Richmond Finance Director Emily Combs estimated total bond repayment with interest at just under $250 million through 2060, levying an average of $22.15 per $100,000 of assessed value per year — or about $144 annually for a single-family home assessed at $650,000 — overseen by a resident oversight committee. Marc Joffe, president of the Contra Costa Taxpayers Association, co-authored the ballot opposition argument with resident Denise Gianni, arguing that Richmond should instead fund the $120 million in repairs out of the 10-year, $550 million settlement agreed to by Chevron in August 2024. Mayoral candidates Councilmember Claudia Jimenez (who noted the city's overall capital improvement plan totals $1 billion) and Ahmad Anderson both endorsed Measure Q, along with the Democratic Party of Contra Costa County, Contra Costa Labor Council, and Contra Costa Building & Construction Trades Council.

Nov. 14 Free Coat and Hot Dog Giveaway at Antioch City Park

In Antioch, Katrece Holloway of Truth Bearer International (TBI) Bay Area church announced that the church — an official partner with One Warm Coat — will join the Antioch Police Department to host a One Warm Coat Giveaway on Saturday, Nov. 14, from 11:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. (or until coats are distributed) at Antioch City Park at the corner of W. 10th and A Streets. Officers and volunteers will hand out free coats and hot dogs collected by church members, families, and local businesses, with additional details at truthbearerinternational.org.