Fremont Mayor Lily Mei fails to deliver on her promises after eight years in office

Lily Mei’s lack of execution has fostered questions about her impact

After decades of growth and the tech boom, the Bay Area has become a thriving hub of opportunity—specifically Fremont. Its rising appeal in California pouts one of long-term stability and equality for all; however, its reality tells a different story. Under Mayor Lily Mei's administration, key issues remain unresolved, raising concerns about the city's future.

Although Mei has been reelected twice as the Fremont Mayor from 2016 to 2024, her promises to constituents are different from her execution with regard to a variety of issues, including equity and affordable housing.

A major part of Mei's recent campaign is her belief in equity and representation. During her mayoral campaigns, Mei promised to reject developer contributions, promoting “clean money” and opposing rampant development. Yet, when it came to choosing between supporting citizens or developers, she frequently sided with the developer.

A notable example is the 2014 proposed development by Doug Rich in Niles, Fremont, which aimed to create 85 residential townhomes on a six-acre plot of land. This proposal faced opposition from residents, organized as “Protect Niles," who sued to halt the project due to the impact on traffic and aesthetics. Despite 6 years of contentious litigation which helped to invalidate the project’s initial approval, Mei’s deciding vote in 2021 overturned a Planning Commission rejection, allowing development to proceed.

Later, when Mei was campaigning for state senate in 2022, Rich contributed close to $5,900 alongside similar scale donations from 29 other developers. In addition, her top donors consisted of police PACs and real estate PACs with $14,700 and $19,400 contributed respectively, contradicting a previous statement about not taking money from these unions and further undermining her “clean money” stance.

Several anti-LGBTQ and anti-BLM sentiments are also scattered throughout her tenure—Mei refused to kneel at a Black Lives Matter protest, voted against a resolution commemorating Harvey Milk, the first openly gay public official in San Francisco, and proposed her own Black History Month resolution that left out important Black institutions like historically black colleges and universities. These actions have upset many LGBTQ and BLM activists, including Carolyn Fowler, the DNC chair of the Women’s Caucus in California, as well as 268 other Fremont locals. Only after countless news organizations, residents, and the Alameda County Democratic Party started to speak vocally about her lack of transparency, she quickly walked back her claims and led a more equitable campaign.

Ann Crosbie, a former board member of the Fremont Unified School District who worked alongside Mei, said, “[As the city] became more intent on her failures in the past… she became more answerable to that part of her constituency."

Mei did not respond to requests for comment.

Recently in a council meeting in May, a resident tried to speak after his allotted time ended, attempting to voice complaints about the city’s inaction toward an RV encampment. In response, Mei shouted at him, claiming the meeting was the city council’s “meeting and we’re inviting you as our guests.”

The interaction encapsulates Mei’s view on equity: letting the residents speak—just as long as they do it on her terms and don’t challenge her predetermined narrative.

Affordable housing, similarly, remains a critical concern for Fremont.

According to Redfin, Fremont’s median home price sits around $1.55 million, with an 8.1% increase year-over-year. In contrast, bigger cities like San Francisco and San Jose showed minimal to declining home price growth at 2.4% and -7.6, respectively, with other cities like Livermore having a drop of 3.9%. Fremont’s median home price also stands at $200,000 higher than those in neighboring cities like Milpitas, Hayward, and Newark.

While neighboring cities experience a stagnation or decline, Fremont continues to see a significant rise, even with rampant development; many new buildings are listed in the millions, only exacerbating the unaffordable issue.

To combat this situation, Fremont has“ develop[ed] many condominiums," said Gaurav Sharma, a Fremont real estate agent. However, this rapid densification, without corresponding improvements in infrastructure or community planning, has led to increased traffic and a sense of overcrowding for its locals. This change also contrasts sharply with the city's family-oriented culture, which favors single-family homes. Even with the high-density housing that is being implemented, only a portion of the total is intended for moderate to low housing, pushing many families into precarious financial situations.

“In case one of us loses a job, it will be hard for us—we will need to move to a different [city]," said a homeowner.

The high cost of living in the area is not just a concern for homeowners, but also for renters who are feeling the squeeze. Sharma recounted a conversation with a cab driver who was “paying $2,700 to $3,000” per month for a two bedroom, one bath apartment; Fremont’s average rent of a two-bedroom apartment is $2,969. For people working minimum-wage jobs in Fremont—$17.50 an hour totaling $2,774 a month—107% of their monthly income going to rent is unsustainable. Council Member Jenny Kassan voiced similar complaints saying, “The rent is too damn high."

This reflects Fremont's declining population, with DataUSA reporting a -1.17 % decline from 2021 to 2022—other years having a similar gap.

The City of Fremont has tried to address this issue in two ways: Rent Review Ordinance(RRO), an ordinance to address rent increases above 5% and their “Keep Fremont Housed” program; although, both have been heavily criticized.

According to MercuryNews, the RRO addresses this problem by encouraging renters and landlords to talk to work things out—if unsuccessful, they “offer a phone consultation, then in-person mediation” or “a public hearing in front of a five-member rent review board”; although, the suggestions are non-binding, meaning the landlord does not have to honor them. Mei and four other council members later rejected a proposal to enhance the program which would have offered stricter regulations on housing providers.

Similarly, the “Keep Fremont Housed” program has been criticized for its limitations, particularly its restriction on landlords to apply for rental assistance on behalf of their tenants, violations against state and federal laws, and avoidance of help from renters and landlords’ hands. During discussions about rent control, Mei was again reluctant to pursue aggressive policies, suggesting that it is “not the time."

The current policies have not effectively addressed the financial struggles of Fremont locals, revealing a gap between her promises and actual outcomes. Without a strict shift in strategy toward addressing the housing crisis, Fremont risks losing the very residents who contribute to its community and culture.

Despite triumphs and attempts, Mei’s administration has been marred by actions and decisions that often fall flat. “Lily Mei is a lovely person, but she doesn’t recognize the humanity of portions of our community who deserve to be recognized,” says Crosbie.

As Mei steps down, Raj Salwan, the mayor and former council member, steps up for a chance to redefine Fremont’s future.