Candidate for
Member, City Council; City of Menlo Park

BRING BACK OUR QUALITY OF LIFE

I want to refocus council efforts to help our city grow while preserving the character of our community. I have repeatedly spoken out against the speculative high density residential development that, with the support of the current city council majority, will add over 400 homes to our area and thousands of additional car trips each day. I will work to halt overdevelopment that crowds our schools, eliminates opportunities for new parks and open space, and imperils our children as they bike, walk, and play, and will refuse to accept closed-door, no-bid processes that result in sweetheart deals.

PURSUE PRAGMATIC FINANCIAL MANAGEMENT

We need to get our city back on a solid financial footing through careful management of debt, control of expenditures, and an emphasis on building our sales tax base through attracting revenue-generating business to our city. As a participant in one of the city-run budget workshops, I note that my workshop group was able to balance the budget with minor cuts and a 1% utility tax. It's unfortunate that years of mismanagement, resulting in a 40%+ drop in our sales tax revenues and cuts in services, will now have to be remedied through implementing a new tax. Imposing a new tax should be a last resort, and if Measure K passes, we need to spend that money wisely and set aside a portion of it for planning purposes so that we don't find ourselves in similar straits in another few years.

PLAN FOR TOMORROW

Within the next few years, Menlo Park will be making critical decisions that will have an impact on residents throughout the city. I want to help create a new, comprehensive vision for El Camino and other development, address the problems with our dangerous railroad crossings, find a better way to manage traffic, and ensure that our residents have access to quality services. I will continue to seek diverse views from throughout the community and will respect the advice of volunteer commissions, allowing the city to benefit from the expertise of residents