Former Alameda County Supervisor Scott Haggerty died at age 68 on Sunday in Tennessee, leaving behind a legacy of regional transportation projects connecting the Tri-Valley area to Northern California.
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“His final days were spent with our family, reminiscing about life stories, adventures and the beautiful times we had shared together,” Haggerty’s family wrote on social media. “While our hearts are broken, we find peace in knowing that he is no longer suffering and for the first time since his operation, he can take a breath of fresh air.”
Born in San Francisco but raised in Fremont, Haggerty grew up in a family that instilled in him the values of community and connection, his son, Sean Haggerty said.
Scott Haggerty assisted with his father’s campaign for Fremont City Council in 1973, which focused on establishing a performing arts center in Fremont. Though his father lost, Haggerty continued to believe the Tri-Valley deserved a community center for the arts.
As a Fremont planning commissioner, Haggerty announced his campaign for Alameda County supervisor in 1996 on the promise to aggressively tackle gridlock on the Interstate 580 and Interstate 680 corridors, improve the county’s emergency response, and address environmental concerns related to the Altamont Landfill in Livermore.
During his 24 years on the Board of Supervisors, Haggerty’s vision of a connected Bay Area laid the groundwork for some of the largest infrastructure projects under construction today. Haggerty gained a reputation as a steady advocate for the county’s unincorporated communities and a demanding boss within county offices.
Alameda County officials lauded his role in tackling the county’s most complex issues.
Among them were major BART expansions, such as the Warm Springs extension and the BART-OAK airport connector, negotiating a community benefits agreement for the Altamont Landfill, and establishing the groundwork for Valley Link, a planned 42-mile rail service connecting the Northern San Joaquin Valley with BART.
“His leadership helped shape countless transportation projects and regional initiatives that will benefit generations to come,” said Alameda County District 4 Supervisor Nate Miley, who worked with Haggerty on the board. “Scott’s legacy is one of service, vision, and steadfast dedication to the public good.”
Sean Haggerty said his father’s leadership on local infrastructure projects caused neighbors and friends to insist he run for higher office. But the Alameda County supervisor wanted to stay near his family and benefit the local community.
“He knew his greatest impact was at a local level,” Haggerty said. “He also stayed because he was a family man, and he wanted to stay local. He could’ve gone so much higher, a congressman, a senator.”
In 2013, Scott Haggerty’s longtime chief of staff, Chris Gray, filed a high-profile whistleblower and wrongful termination suit after he was let go. Gray alleged a litany of corruption violations, including claims that Haggerty double-billed the county for travel expenses and misused public resources. The case was ultimately settled out of court.
Haggerty moved on from the scandal and won his final election in 2016. Over the next four years, he oversaw the grand opening of the Warm Springs BART station, the southern extensions into Santa Clara County in 2020, and the county’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic.
He chose to not run for reelection in 2021, moving aside for who would ultimately become his successor, David Haubert.
“’It’s a very important job. Take it as seriously as you can. Your job is to make people’s lives better,’” Haubert recalled Haggerty saying to him. “He was very proud of his work to create a fire training center located in Dublin. He was very proud of the progress he made on Valley Link.”
As condolences poured in over the weekend commemorating Haggerty’s accomplishments, many took time to recall their personal moments with him.
Livermore Mayor John Marchand remembered eating breakfasts with Haggerty at the Livermore cafe Mornings on First earlier this year, just weeks before Haggerty was scheduled for a lung transplant.
Though the transplant was successful, Haggerty’s health continued to deteriorate. While at Vanderbilt University Medical Center in Tennessee, his family listened to his favorite music and watched his favorite movie, “A Christmas Story,” in July, Sean Haggerty said.
When Scott Haggerty passed on Sunday, he was surrounded by family.
“While our hearts are broken, we find peace in knowing that he is no longer suffering and for the first time since his operation, he can take a breath of fresh air,” his family said.
Haggerty’s family intends to hold services in both Tennessee and California. Details of both arrangements have yet to be made public.
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