Former San Leandro Mayor Stephen Cassidy dies

Former San Leandro Mayor Stephen Cassidy has died, city officials announced Saturday.

Cassidy, who was described as a “devoted public servant,” was elected mayor in 2010 and had an “enduring commitment to the community (that) helped shape the city’s civic and cultural identity,” according to a statement from the city of San Leandro.

“We mourn the loss of former Mayor Stephen Cassidy, a dedicated and experienced public servant whose impact on our community will be felt for generations,” said current San Leandro Mayor Juan González in a statement.  “Cassidy’s transformative vision and unwavering commitment to the City of San Leandro and to the San Leandro Unified School District leaves an impactful legacy rooted in service, integrity, and care for our residents.”

Cassidy began his public service career serving on the San Leandro School Board championing “educational excellence and equity,” city officials said.

After his time on the school board, Cassidy was elected to the San Leandro City Council, then later served as mayor.

“As mayor, he led with vision and integrity, advancing initiatives that promoted economic development, civic innovation, and community engagement,” city officials said. “His guiding principles of fiscal responsibility, transparency in government, and positioning San Leandro as a ‘center of innovation’ in the Bay Area, defined his leadership.”

While serving as mayor, Cassidy had many accomplishments, from bolstering city resources to proposing that the pride flag be flown at City Hall to show support of marriage equality.

He established a city partnership with data management software company OSIsoft to build Lit San Leandro, a fiber-optic broadband network that helped to attract technology companies to the city, officials said.

Cassidy also launched “Coffee with the Mayor” events, as well as forums for San Leandro’s Chinese-speaking and Latino and Hispanic communities.

When the San Leandro Hospital, the only in the city that provided acute care, was threatened with closure, Cassidy obtained city funding in collaboration with county officials to ensure that the emergency room stayed open, city officials said.

After his term as mayor, Cassidy continued serving his city in other capacities. He worked on the Arts, Culture, and Library Commission, where he pushed for the implementation of a 1% fee on new development to put toward the arts, and he supported the work of a community-led movement to create a parcel tax dedicated to the improvement of San Leandro’s infrastructure.

“He was done with his elected offices and continued to be active in the community, and that, to me, is very powerful,” González said in an interview. “He dedicated a ton of his personal time to the City of San Leandro.”

Cassidy also served as the co-chair for parcel tax and school bond campaigns on several occasions, resulting in hundreds of millions of dollars in funding, city officials said.

San Leandro will fly its flags at half staff for seven days in honor of Cassidy, city officials said. A public memorial is scheduled for Jan. 10 at the San Leandro High School Performing Arts Center.

González added that Cassidy’s death was a “shock” to the community.

“There’s a lot of love for Stephen,” he said.

“The City of San Leandro extends its heartfelt condolences to his beloved wife, Amy, their daughters, his siblings, friends, and all who were inspired by his service,” city officials added.