Jack Balch

Background

Jack Balch grew up in the area, attended Sunol Glen Elementary School and showed animals at the Alameda County Fair through Sunol 4-H, according to his city biography. He graduated cum laude from Cal Poly San Luis Obispo with a bachelor's degree in business administration. He has worked more than 25 years in business finance and is chief financial officer of his family's East Bay commercial real estate company. He is a licensed CPA, a Chartered Global Management Accountant and a real estate broker. Before running for office he served on Pleasanton's Parks and Recreation Commission from 2009 to 2014, chairing it in 2012, and on the Planning Commission for more than six years, chairing it in 2017. He has coached Pleasanton Little League.

In office

Balch was elected to the City Council at large in 2020. In 2024 he challenged Mayor Karla Brown and won, 18,950 votes (53.94 percent) to 16,184 (46.06 percent), in the certified count, and was sworn in on December 17, 2024. That year he opposed Measure PP, a half-cent sales tax increase that voters rejected, 54.2 percent to 45.8 percent, and called for a deeper look at city finances. He proposed a third-party financial study; the firm Eide Bailly, at a cost of $33,000, confirmed staff projections of an annual deficit of $10 million to $22 million over 10 years. The city made about $6 million in service cuts to balance its 2025-26 budget, including reduced library hours. Balch told Pleasanton Weekly in May 2026 that the budget had been contentious and that a citizens advisory board used in the process may not have been the most effective.

Testa, his opponent, has said he turned the sales tax into a "wedge issue," The Independent reported in August 2026. At a Pleasanton Weekly forum on September 29, both candidates backed Measure HH, a phased hotel tax increase from 8 to 12 percent. Balch said the city should confirm it needs more taxpayer money before asking for it, cited the city's "Pleasanton Playbook" permitting guide, proposed reevaluating the 2018 Downtown Specific Plan and noted that crime is down overall. From July 1 to September 19, 2026 his campaign raised $11,300, and $25,326 since January 1.

On the ballot

Balch is a candidate for Mayor of Pleasanton on the November 3, 2026 ballot, seeking a second two-year term. His ballot designation is Mayor/CPA, and his only opponent is Councilmember Julie Testa, who is termed out of her District 3 seat. He lists public safety, fiscal responsibility, clean and affordable water and economic vitality as priorities, and said at the forum, "I want to build on the progress we've made." Pleasanton's mayor serves two-year terms within an eight-year limit.