Yang Shao
The Best Candidate for Alameda County Water District Board, Ward 3
I love our Tri-City community, but the families of Fremont, Newark, and Union City are being squeezed by a cost-of-living crisis — and your water bill is part of the problem.
Rates have gone up every single year, 4% annually since 2023, and now the Alameda County Water District proposes back-to-back 5.5% increases for 2027 and 2028 — more than 11% combined, far outpacing family paychecks.
These increases are not inevitable. They are the result of spending that goes unexamined, financing decisions that go unquestioned, and a board culture where rate hikes pass year after year without real scrutiny. Ratepayers are asked to conserve more and pay more, while the district’s expenditures — including the State Water Project taxes collected on your property bill — remain difficult for ordinary residents to see and understand.
Clean, safe, and affordable water is an essential public service, not a blank check. Our district needs a course correction: independent oversight, genuine transparency, and a director who puts ratepayers first.
The Most Experienced and Accomplished Candidate for Ward 3
As a 23-year Fremont resident, a Fremont City Councilmember for eight years, and a Fremont Unified School District Trustee for four, I have always focused on measurable results — not slogans or political theater. Working together with our community, Fremont has become a model of what effective, accountable local governance can achieve.
Under our collective leadership, Fremont has been recognized as:
- The Happiest City in the United States for six consecutive years
- Best Place to Raise a Family in America for four consecutive years
- One of the Top Ten Greenest Cities in the United States
- The Safest City in Northern California
- A city delivering thousands of units of affordable housing while balancing growth with quality of life
Fremont’s success did not happen by accident. It is the result of disciplined governance, data-driven decision-making, and a steadfast commitment to fiscal responsibility and community well-being.
I also bring something rare to a water board: I am a scientist, with a Harvard Ph.D. in Chemistry. That means the technical expertise to scrutinize water quality data, review infrastructure plans line by line, and stop wasteful capital spending before it lands on your bill. These are the same principles — and the same results-oriented approach — that I will bring to the Alameda County Water District.
Yang Shao’s Priorities for ACWD
Rate Relief
Reject the proposed back-to-back 5.5% hikes and break the cycle of automatic annual increases — through independent audits, smart project financing, and fixed-charge reform, so every household that conserves water sees real savings.
Real Transparency
Publish clear, plain-language accounting of all district spending, including the State Water Project taxes on your property bill. Ratepayers deserve to know where every dollar goes.
Reliable Infrastructure
Replace aging pipelines and protect our local groundwater basin proactively — before main breaks force costly emergency repairs. Smart planning today prevents expensive crises tomorrow.
A Proven Voice, Broad Support
I believe our water district needs problem-solvers, not politics. I am honored to have earned the support of elected officials, community leaders, and neighbors across Fremont, Newark, and Union City who share a simple belief: ratepayers deserve a director who listens, delivers, and demands real answers.
