A Proven Record of Leadership for Benicia

For over a decade, Kari Birdseye has shown up for this city — first as a volunteer, then as a Planning Commissioner, and now as a City Council Member. Her record is one of standing up to powerful interests, protecting Benicia's health and environment, and guiding the city through one of the biggest transitions in its history.

Standing Up for Benicia

Kari's leadership didn't start on the City Council — it started when she was still a private citizen willing to take on the town's largest employer.

• Voted to deny Valero's crude-by-rail expansion. As a Planning Commissioner in 2016, Kari was part of the commission that rejected Valero's application to transport up to 70,000 barrels of crude oil into Benicia by rail every day. When Valero appealed, the decision held.

• Helped develop and pass the Industrial Health and Safety Ordinance. In March 2025, Kari joined a unanimous City Council vote to adopt a new ordinance holding industrial operators like Valero to stronger safety and health standards.

• Honored with the 2025 Blue Rivet Award. San Francisco Baykeeper recognized Kari for her environmental leadership and advocacy on behalf of Benicia's air, water, and public health.

Leading Benicia Through the Valero Transition

With Benicia's refinery winding down operations, Kari has stepped up to help chart what comes next for the city's economy and the 900+ acres it will leave behind.

• Chairing the council's task force on the Benicia Industrial Park. Kari is leading the city's effort to work directly with industrial park businesses, Rose Estates, and the Port of Benicia to protect jobs and coordinate redevelopment as the refinery site transitions.

• Championing economic diversification. Kari has pushed publicly for Benicia to use its unique assets — two interstates, a rail line, and a working port — to attract new industries, including exploring the port's potential for offshore wind manufacturing.

• Advocating for a "just transition." Rather than waiting for state and federal plans, Kari has been a vocal local voice for concrete, community-driven solutions as Benicia adjusts to the loss of a major employer and tax base.

Investing in Benicia's Future

• Backing infrastructure and fiscal stability. Kari joined the full City Council in endorsing 2024's Measures F, G, and H — investments in road repairs and long-term financial stability for the city.

• Supporting affordable housing. As part of the council, Kari has backed the push to bring affordable housing to city-owned parcels, helping address Benicia's housing shortage.

• 2026 Ballot Measures: Kari is supporting two measures on the 2026 ballot: a business license tax overhaul that would eliminate the annual business tax for more than 1,800 local small businesses, and a real estate transfer tax that would exempt homes built before 2027 and selling for under $2M.

Long before she held office, Kari was doing the unglamorous work that keeps a community running:

• Served on Benicia's Human Services Board starting in 2012

• Chaired the Planning Commission for over a decade

• Served on the boards of the Solano County Fair Board Association and the Benicia-Vallejo Chapter of AAUW

• Served as President of the Matthew Turner PTA and President of the Benicia Stingrays Swim Team

• Currently serves as 1st Vice President, North Bay for the League of California Cities

• Serves as a board member for MCE and the Green Empowerment Zone

• Named 2025 Woman of the Year by Congressman John Garamendi

The Professional Experience She Brings to the Table

Kari's career gave her exactly the skill set Benicia needs right now: how to communicate clearly under pressure, and how to navigate complex environmental and regulatory issues.

• 11 years at CNN, where she was part of an Emmy Award–winning news team covering the 1996 Olympic Park bombing

• Director of Communications at the Wine Institute

• Worked with Earthjustice's Healthy Communities campaign, focused on reducing pesticide exposure for farmworkers

• Currently Director of Regional Media and Public Affairs at the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC)

• B.A. in Journalism and M.S. in Environmental Management, University of San Francisco

Rooted in Benicia

Kari and her husband James have lived in Benicia since 2000, where they raised their two children, Julia and Joey, through the local school system. She's not new to this community, and she's not going anywhere — she's spent 20+ years investing in it, and she's asking Benicia to let her keep going.

What's already been delivered:

- Rebuilt a critical pedestrian bridge connecting kids to our schools — without a dollar of city budget impact, by holding Republic Services accountable
- Established a fully funded street improvement plan, finally making real progress on our community's decades-long call to "Fix Our Roads"
- Improved water infrastructure and successfully managed unexpected natural disasters along the way