Councilman Kevin Carroll dies; was advocate for rent control
Kevin Carroll, a Larkspur City Council member and one of the city's biggest advocates for rent control, has died.
Mr. Carroll, who had served on the council since December 2022, was 73 years old, said his ex-wife, Glenda Carroll. Mr. Carroll died of lung cancer.
“He was really dedicated to the community around him, the working people,” said Carroll, a resident of San Rafael. “He worked hard for them and he was delighted to do so. He loved being part of the council.”
Mr. Carroll's trademark issue, renter protections, spurred him to
run in the 2022 election.
“I was hoping the City Council would join all the other cities in Marin and Sonoma County with rent stabilization,” Carroll told the IJ before the election. “That didn't work, so that's how I got involved and decided I needed to run.”
Mr. Carroll was born in San Francisco and lived in Marin for about 40 years, Glenda Carroll said. He was a resident of the Marin RV Park in Larkspur and the longtime owner of a taxi service called Marin Checker Taxi and Sausalito Taxi. He held an associate's degree in labor studies from City College of San Francisco.
Larkspur officials said Mr. Carroll's
blue-collar politics were rare in the community.
“I believe the City Council was Kevin's passion, and he loved having the opportunity to address the needs of citizens who he felt didn't otherwise have a voice on the council,” said Mayor Scot Candell. “I will miss his passion and his friendship.”
Gabe Paulson, a Larkspur councilmember, said he and Mr. Carroll worked closely on Measure D, the ballot measure that cemented rent control in the city.
“He always did his homework, he always cared and he always made a difference,” Paulson said. “I will miss him as a colleague and a friend.”