ABOUT SHANE

Shane Smith was elected to serve District 4 on the Merced City Council in 2022.  He has emerged as a common sense leader who successfully carried multiple legislative initiatives during his first term.  Those included the Repeat Housing Code Violators Program (“anti-slumlord”) Ordinance, a system of fully transparent and accountable Council committees, and a neutral flag display policy that respects our country’s First Amendment values while pulling the City back from threats of unnecessary litigation.  Shane consistently served as a voice of reason and pushed back on colleagues looking to import symbolic national issues into our local Council chambers.

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Shane routinely championed sensible economic development initiatives such as the return of commercial jet traffic to Merced Yosemite Regional Airport.  Putting our community first, Shane also worked (and continues to work) to build consensus on difficult issues such as the California High Speed Rail Authority’s unilateral decision to relocate Merced’s long-promised station out of Downtown.

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Using his knowledge and skills as an attorney, Shane has consistently fought for the interests of his constituents within the bounds of federal and state law.  On issues both high and low profile, he has been willing to walk right up to the line in order to achieve a better outcome for D4 residents than the City and outside interests were initially prepared to deliver.

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In 2022, Shane ran on a commitment to preserve public safety and stood up for our men and women in uniform at a time when it was unpopular to do so.  In office, he challenged the former-Council’s view that police and fire protection should be “defunded.”  Thanks to the community’s investment in Measure C, he voted to fully restore funding to public safety for the first time in a generation.  Shane is proud to have always supported police officer and firefighter safety while working towards appropriate reforms.

Shane’s City Council service follows a long history of civic engagement in Merced.

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In 2015, thanks to the nomination of the League of Women Voters of Merced County, Shane was an active member of the citizens’ commission that developed the City of Merced’s first Council district boundaries.

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In 2018, Shane was elected to the Merced City School District Board of Trustees representing the City’s northeast and north-central neighborhoods.  He relentlessly fought for the best interests of children and the value of parent choice during the COVID-19 shutdown.

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In 2019, Shane chaired the City of Merced’s Charter Review Committee and stewarded the successful passage of Measures K, L, and M to enact Charter amendments extending the mayoral term, imposing Council accountability through citizen-determined stipends, and improving the transparency of City finances.

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In 2020, in the midst of our nation’s emotional discussion of race relations in America, Shane was invited by former Mayor Michael Murphy to serve on the City’s Police Advisory Committee alongside representatives from the Merced Police Department and a diverse group of residents to thoroughly review all police “use of force” policies.

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From 2020-2022, Shane served on the Citizens Advisory Committee of the Merced County Association of Governments, chairing that body during the final two years of his tenure.

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Shane also served on the Board of the Merced Symphony Association from 2017-2024, “retiring” as its Vice President.  He played a key role with partners from the Merced County Office of Education in televising virtual concerts from the Merced Theatre during the pandemic.

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In his day job, Shane is a partner at one of the largest law firms in the Central Valley.  He focuses his practice on federal civil litigation and intellectual property (e.g., trademarks, copyrights, patents, and trade secrets).  In 2023, Shane was the President of the San Joaquin Valley Chapter of the Federal Bar Association.  He has been recognized as a Northern California Super Lawyer for Intellectual Property from 2023-2026.

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While attending Berkeley Law in 2009, Shane externed for Chief Justice Ronald George on the California Supreme Court.  He has a Ph.D. in Cellular and Molecular Pathology from UCLA and a Bachelor of Science in Biochemistry from UC Davis.

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Shane’s daughter Selina is an active Merced Union High School District student who enjoys varsity cheerleading.  Together they spend a lot of time at singing recitals, baseball games, eating ice cream, and playing with their two cats November and Dramatic Justice aka DJ.

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