Getting to Know the County of Alameda

Presented by Carol S Orth, CPA
Division Chief, Tax Analysis Unit
Tax Manager’s Subcommittee Meeting
February, 2016
Seventh most populous county in California
Fourth most racially diverse county in the United States
Land area of 739 square miles and population of 2,043 per square
mile
Water area is 84 square miles
Total area is 823 square miles
2015-16 Total assessed value net other exemptions - $237,563 million
Total parcel count - 498,559
Total initial tax charge for 2015-16 - $3.4 billion (includes AV and fixed
charges)
Budget of over $2.7 billion
2015-16 Top Ten Taxpayers by Assessed Value
1. Pacific Gas and Electric
2. Tesla Motors, Inc
3. Kaiser Foundation Hospitals
4. Digital 720, 2nd LLC
5. Russell City Energy Company
6. AT&T
7. Kaiser Foundation Health Plan, INC
8. 5616 Bay Street Investors LLC
9. PSB Northern California Industrial Portfolio LLC
10. Bayer Healthcare LLC
Borders the San Francisco Bay on the west with San Francisco
and San Mateo Counties, crest of the Berkeley Hills forms
northeastern border with Contra Costa County, southern border
with Santa Clara County, eastern border with San Joaquin
County and southeastern border with Stanislaus County
Hayward Fault, a major branch of the San Andreas Fault to the
west, runs through the most populated areas of Alameda County
and the Calaveras Fault runs through the southeastern part of
the county.
On March 25, 1853, an Act of Incorporation was created and
Alameda County was "born". Created from parts of Contra Costa
and Santa Clara Counties, the act was signed into law by Governor
Bigler on April 6, 1853.
Alameda is Spanish for ‘a place where poplar trees grow’
Original county seat was Alvarado, later moved to San Leandro
where courthouse was destroyed by Hayward fault quake of 1868.
Oakland became the county seat in 1873
By 1860, there were 465 residents in the county. There were saltmakers, laborers, gardeners, master sailors, fowl raisers, doctors,
nurses, and even lawyers.
Cities
• Alameda
• Albany
• Berkeley
• Dublin
• Emeryville
• Fremont
• Hayward
• Livermore
• Newark
• Oakland
• Piedmont
• Pleasanton
• San Leandro
• Union City
Unincorporated
Areas
• Ashland
• Castro Valley
• Cherryland
• Fairview
• San Lorenzo
• Sunol
In which city is Ghiradelli Chocolate manufactured?
You can stand in San Francisco while simultaneously standing in
this Alameda County city.
This city is the only city in the world with a natural saltwater lake
wholly contained within its city boundaries.
The American snow cone and popsicle were first sold in this city.
A corner of a dump site West of the former runways at Alameda
Point (the former navy base) extends far enough into the San
Francisco Bay that it is technically a part of the city and county of
San Francisco.
Alameda was originally a peninsula of Oakland.
In 1902, due to the industrial growth of Alameda and the need
for a more efficient shipping system, a canal was dredged
between Alameda and Oakland officially making it an island city.
The city is now comprised of two islands - Alameda island and
Bay Farm Island.
One of 12 US cities designated as a Coast Guard City
Chevy’s Fresh Mex was founded in Alameda in 1981.
Phyllis Diller got her start here.
Peanut butter was invented here.
Terminus of Transcontinental Railroad.
Neptune Beach ‘Coney Island of the West’ and home of the
snow cone and popsicle.
Bay Farm Island Bicycle Bridge - the only pedestrian/bicycle-only
drawbridge in the United States
Spirits Alley, part of old Alameda Naval
Base and home to award winning wines
and spirits.
Home to Wind River and VF Corporation
History - In 1908 a group of women protested
Berkeley dumping garbage in their community.
Met the drivers of the garbage wagon near the
now corner of San Pablo and Buchanan. The
women told them to go home, which they did!
Shortly thereafter, incorporated and named town Ocean View
In 1909 changed name to Albany, hometown of the mayor
Albany is the site of Golden Gate Fields, the only horse racing
track in the Bay Area
The Solano Avenue Stroll - In 2001, The Library of Congress's
American Folklife Center in Washington, D.C. designated the
festival as a "National Local Legacy
Used UC housing during the war, which reverted back to Cal and
became known as Albany Village
Berkeley is a city with a small population and a big reputation.
Famous around the globe as a center for academic achievement,
scientific exploration, free speech and the arts.
Home of Chez Panisse, known as one of the inspirations for
California cuisine
Named after 18th century English philosopher and poet – Bishop
Berkeley
Home to UC Berkeley,
Home of 7 Nobel Prize Laureates
Began the Free Speech Movement in 1960’s
The element berkelium synthesized here. Named after city and campus
Sather Tower, commonly known as
“The Campanile” – third tallest bell
and clock-tower in the world.
Home to following well known companies
Nolo Press – pioneered DIY law movement
Power Bar – founded and originally based
Triple Rock Brewery and Ale House – America’s Oldest Original
Brewpub (originally known at Roaring Rock)
Noah’s Bagels founded by Noah Alper on College Ave.
Peet’s Coffee founded – predates Starbucks and served as its model
Fantasy Sudio and Zaentz’s film
Bayer Healthcare US Biotechnology Center
Jack London Square is located in which city? After whom is it
named?
This airport was the departure point for the ill-fated round-theworld trip of Amelia Earhart and the take off point for the first
flight between North America and Australia and the first civilian
flight to Hawaii.
The city where the McDonald’s Quarter
Pounder was introduced.
Home to the world’s longest lasting light
bulb.
200 years ago, served as crossroads of two important stage
routes – 1) Bay Area to Stockton and 2) Martinez to San Jose
1835 - Original land grant in area to Jose Maria Amador, a
Mexican soldier
1850 – Michael Murray and Jeremiah Fallon from Ireland
purchased 1000 acres from Amador
1856 – First schoolhouse in Amador-Livermore Valley
built - Murray Schoolhouse
1859 –St Raymond Church built – oldest wooden
church in California and includes old cemetery where
members of the Donner Party Expedition are buried
Site of extensive Native American settlements
Residents disposed of their clam and oyster shells in one place,
which became known as Shellmound
Covers an area of just over one square mile in center of Bay Area
urban core
Part of original land grant given to Don Luís María Peralta was
granted Rancho San Antonio which included present day San
Leandro, Oakland, Alameda, Piedmont, Berkeley, Albany and
Emeryville
Americans bought off parts of Peralta’s land. Eventually Joseph
Stickney Emery settled in area and responsible for dredging of
channel allowing ferries to cross between San Francisco and
First true industry was slaughtering in “Butchertown” in 1870s
With arrival of railroads, became more industrialized.
Incorporated in 1896
From 1920s through 1930s, known at “Rottenest City on the
Pacific Coast”
Grew in size due to landfill, consistent with Shellmound
95% of city in former redevelopment area
Transformed predominant transport and warehouse
use to a modern commercial, research and
development and residential center
Ironically, due to the skewed location of the city boundary, this bridge is entirely in Oakland although the streets that it co
After the Loma Prieta earthquake, Amtrak established a station
in Emeryville, to become the 5th busiest in California
Home to many cutting-edge biotech companies,
including Bayer Healthcare Pharmaceutical research
Chiron Corporation, a research and development firm
specializing in biopharmaceuticals, vaccines and blood testing,
was founded in Emeryville in 1981, and purchased by Novartis in
2006. Still has a campus in Emeryville
Committed to promoting high-density infill development in the
urban core area in order to discourage suburban sprawl on the
regional fringes.
1st in the nation to receive "Platinum" status (the highest rating)
under the U.S. Green Building Council's "Leadership in Energy
and Environmental Design (LEED) for Neighborhood
Development" (LEED-ND) pilot program.
Home to
First Northern California IKEA
LeapFrog Global Headquarters
Clif Bar
Center for Investigative Reporting
Jamba Juice
Pixar
Peet’s Coffee and Tea
Berkeley Research Group
1797 – First settled by Spaniard Father Fermin de Lasuen at
Mission San Jose
Named after John C Fremont, The Great
Pathfinder
1853 - Washington Township was established
1912 to 1916 – Fremont’s Niles district became the earliest
home to California's motion picture industry, most famous for
Charlie Chaplin’s ‘The Tramp’
1972 - Quarter Pounder created by Al Bernadin
Mission Peak is prominent park. At top can see Mount Hamilton,
Santa Cruz Mtns, Mt. Tamalpais, Mt. Diablo and the Sierras
Apple’s first Mac computer manufacturing plant was located in
Fremont
By 1999, approximately 750 high tech companies opened their
offices, headquarters or production facilities in Fremont
2010 – Tesla Motors purchased former NUMMI
plant. Home to Model S production facility
Home to
Quark Pharmaceuticals, Inc. headquarters
Major manufacturing and development plant for Boehringer Ingelheim
Pharmaceuticals
Former Home to Solyndra and NUMMI
Believed to be named after William Dutton Hayward, who
originally squatted on the land owned by Guillermo Castro.
Hayward eventually bought the land from Castro.
Some historians think Hayward was named after Alvinza
Hayward, a gold rush millionaire.
Variations of the name Hayward used over time, before settling
on the name Hayward
1868 earthquake on the Hayward fault devastated the city
Until 1980s, industry dominated by now defunct food canning
and salt production industries
By 1990, one of the top 15 most ethnically-diverse communities
in the nation
Companies headquartered in Hayward:
Berkeley Farms - California's oldest continuous milk processor, owned
by Dean Foods, but headquartered in Hayward
All Pro Wrestling Training facility located in Hayward
Mountain Mike’s Pizza
The Gillig Corporation - an American manufacturer of heavy-duty lowfloor transit buses. Prior to 1993, Gillig also made school buses.
In which city are Red Vines manufactured?
During the Roaring Twenties, this city was known as the “City of
Millionaires” because there were more millionaires per square
mile than in any city in the United States.
Disney incorporated ideas from this
storybook theme park into Disneyland.
Probably oldest wine region in California
City founded in 1869
Pre-Prohibition, around 70 wineries. Current wineries include:
Concannon - California Historical Landmark #641
Cresta Blanca Winery (Sparkling Cellars) - California Historical Landmark
#586
Wente -California Historical Landmark #957
Home to Lawrence Livermore National
Lab and Sandia National Lab
Has an element on the periodic table
Discovery Toys headquarters
Home to Little League World Series, Intermediate Division
Location of San Francisco Premium Outlets
Livermore Rodeo – second weekend in June
In effort to avoid becoming part of Fremont metropolis, Newark
Chamber of Commerce began own movement.
Incorporated in September, 1955
Named after Newark Castle, Port Glasgow in Scotland by J. Barr
Robertson.
Neato Robotics headquarters
Cargill Salt operates a large salt refinery,
cleans solar salt produced in salt evaporation
ponds in San Francisco Bay
Events that helped Alameda County grow.
Which ice cream shop in Oakland was featured in a Pixar movie?
Hint: Movie is Up
•.
Originally the home to the Huchiun tribe, part of Ohlones
Claimed for King of Spain in 1772
Land grant to Luis María Peralta for his Rancho San Antonio.
Originally named Encinal (oak grove).
Squatters and land speculators came in during the Gold Rush in
area initially called Contra Costa (opposite shore)
Incorporated as a town in 1852 and changed name to Oakland
Re-Incorporated as a city in 1854
Railroads and the port helped the city to grow rapidly
Grew substantially after San Francisco earthquake
Due to numerous automotive manufacturing plants, became
known as the Detroit of the West (1920s)
First experimental transcontinental airmail through-flight
finished its journey in Oakland on August 9, 1920
In 1926, Dr Watts opened a 22 bed hospital for in-patient care
for residents of African descent. Also trained African-American
nurses.
East Bay area had many war-based industries during WWII
The medical system devised for shipyard workers became the
basis for the giant Kaiser Permanente HMO
During the 1960s, home to an innovative funk music scene. Larry
Graham, is credited with the creation of the influential slap and
pop sound, still widely used by bassists in many musical idioms
today
Home to radical movement of 1960s and 70s.
Late 1980s birthplace or home at one time of several rap acts
During mid-1990s, experienced an improved economy compared
to previous decades
Two disasters with negative impact on Oakland – Berkeley Hills
firestorm of 1991 – worst in urban American history and the
Loma Prieta earthquake
Largest city in County of Alameda and County seat.
Ranked No. 8 on Lonely Planet's roster of Top Ten
U.S. Travel Destinations for 2015.
Only California city with 3 major league sports teams.
Rocky Road ice cream created in Oakland in 1929
Famous notables
Dreyer’s Grand Ice Cream Holdings founded in 1928
Bruce Lee got his start fighting and teaching in Oakland
Tom Hanks graduated from Skyline High School
Clint Eastwood graduated from Oakland Tech High School in 1949
Oakland’s Fentons Creamery made a cameo in the Pixar movie
“Up”. Both its director and producer are Oakland residents and
Fentons fans
Home to
Clorox
Ask.com
Cost Plus World Market
Haagen Dazs (owned by Nestle)
Kaiser Permanente
Pandora Radio
Pet Food Express
Home of the very first Mai Tai
The Wave was invented at the Oakland Coliseum
The AT-ATs in “The Empire Strikes Back” were inspired by the
huge four-legged cranes at the Port of Oakland.
Named after the region of Piedmont in Italy, and literally means
foothill
Surrounded by the City of Oakland – in fact, many homes are
half in Piedmont and half in Oakland
In the 1880s there were only seven houses where the City of
Piedmont is now located
The biggest house was painted yellow and could be seen from
San Francisco Bay
First and only factory was the Ladies Silk Culture Society. Closed
in 1895.
Many well known people did or currently live in Piedmont
Originally home to the Ohlone
Like other cities, influenced by the Spanish
and the gold rush
In the 1850s, the town was called "The Most Desperate Town in
the West" and was ruled by bandits and desperados, including
Joaquin Murrieta, who was the inspiration behind Zorro.
Pleasanton Fairgrounds Racetrack at the Alameda County
Fairgrounds is the oldest horse racing track of its kind in the
United States.
Pleasanton ranked #31 on Money’s annual list of the Best Places
to Live, and #9 on the publication’s list of the Top Earning Towns
in the nation.
Some of the key companies located in Pleasanton
Safeway
Goodguys Rod & Custom Association - the World's largest member
based Hot Rod Association
Shaklee Corporation - an American manufacturer and distributor of
natural nutrition supplements, weight-management products, beauty
products, and household products.
Thoratec Corporation is an United States-based company that
develops, manufactures, and markets proprietary medical devices used
for mechanical circulatory support for the treatment of heart-failure
patients worldwide. It is a global leader in mechanical circulatory
support devices, particularly in ventricular assist devices(VADs).
Former headquarters for E-Loan, PeopleSoft (bought by Oracle)
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Like the rest of Alameda County, history influenced by Ohlone,
missions and Spanish inhabitants
Jose Joaquin Estudillo was first Spanish settler and considered
the founder of San Leandro
With the gold rush, came squatters. Parts of Rancho San Leandro
were sold to these squatters.
San Leandro known for agriculture, but best know for cherries
and dubbed “The Cherry City”.
Elected county seat for Alameda County in 1854.
In 1872 incorporated as a city
Caterpillar Tractor Company was formed in 1925, the
combination of two competing tractor companies – Best
originating in San Leandro and Holt of Stockton
Other companies located in San Leandro include
Ghirardelli Chocolate Company moved to San Leandro in 1967
OSIsoft - manufacturer of application software for real-time data
infrastructure solutions,
TriNet – cloud-based professional employer organization
Drake’s Brewing Company
Former headquarters of Otis Spunkmeyer
Incorporated in 1959 to avoid being annexed into Newark,
Hayward or Fremont. Was the combination of the towns of
Alvarado and Decoto and named it Union City, the original name
of Alvarado
The first sugar beet factory in the United States was located in
Union City, called the California Beet Sugar Company
Home to Red Vines Licorice
EntirelyPets.com, an online pet supply
store
Ariat International – horse riding boots
manufacturer and related apparel
Governed by the County of Alameda and policed by the Alameda
County Sheriff's Office and California Highway Patrol
Named after the Oregon Ash Tree
Formerly San Leandro South
Developed in the 1940s
Fifth most populous unincorporated area in
California and 23rd in the United States
Named after Don Guillermo Castro, a soldier
in the Mexican army and a rancher.
First known for chicken ranches
Historically, Castro Valley Boulevard was part of the first
transcontinental highway system, the Lincoln Highway, aka “The
Main Street Across America”
Governed by the County of Alameda and policed by the Alameda
County Sheriff's Office and California Highway Patrol
Formerly Hayward North
Originally an area covered in cherry trees
Area originally owned by William Meek, often called the first
called the first farmer of Alameda County
Descendants subdivided. Original subdivision included homes
with small orchards or chicken farms
Small orchards and chicken farms gave way to homes
Governed by the County of Alameda and policed by the Alameda
County Sheriff's Office and California Highway Patrol
Serviced by Fairview Fire District since
1938
Lone Tree Cemetary located in the
District, and is the burial site of
William Dutton Hayward, the namesake
of Hayward
Governed by the County of Alameda and policed by the Alameda
the Alameda County Sheriff's Office
Originally part of land grant to Castro and Estudillo
As in other areas, the Gold Rush brought squatters and came to
be known as ‘Squatterville”
Formerly farmland, production of fruit and flowers
One of the nation's first planned communities –In 1944, under
contract to the U.S. Navy, David D. Bohannon's Greenwood
Company began construction of San Lorenzo Village, a tract of
two- and three-bedroom homes for workers in the East Bay's
war industries.
Small, rural town, located along Niles Canyon and well known for
its historic railroad system, Niles Canyon Railway
Excursions with both steam and diesel locomotives along a wellpreserved portion of the First Transcontinental Railroad
Named in honor of Antonio Suñol,
part owner of the historical Rancho
Valle de San Jose that included Sunol
1981 - Bosco the dog elected as mayor.