Fremont Councilwoman Jenny Kassan resigns halfway through second term

FREMONT — Fremont Councilwoman Jenny Kassan is resigning halfway through her second term on council because her private endeavors are taking up more of her time and she wants to help her husband’s mayoral campaign.

Kassan’s private law firm, responsibilities as an Alameda County prosecutor and work opening up a hub for minority entrepreneurs in Baltimore has left her little time to dedicate to city matters, she said this week.

“I just feel really strongly that as a council member it’s very important to respond to constituent inquiries and requests,” Kassan said in an interview. “That can be quite time consuming.”

Instead, she will spend the fall campaigning for her husband, former Councilman Vinnie Bacon, who is running to replace Mayor Lily Mei along with Councilman Raj Salwan, Rohan Marfatia and Hiu M. Ng.

She will continue to hold her seat until the council decides on her replacement. The council will discuss opening up an application process and holding public candidate interviews when the board returns from summer recess on Sept. 3.

First elected in 2018, Kassan was expected to serve until her second term ends in 2026.

She said one of her highlights on council was reversing an animal ordinance that banned residents from keeping certain pets. The legislation she led reunited a family with two of their goats and also made it easier to own other animals, such as bees and chickens.

Kassan said some residents have mentioned their discomfort with her potentially serving on council at the same time as her husband, if he wins the mayor seat on Nov. 5. They previously served together between 2018 and 2020, after which Bacon left council. But to quell those concerns, and because she was getting busy with her day jobs, she decided to step aside and make room for his campaign.

“I felt like I was having more and more challenges keeping up with all the things that are coming at me,” Kassan said. “And I just thought it was time to let someone else take over.”

Bacon said he supported her idea to step down, adding that “she’s doing a great job” and “will definitely be missed.”