District elections are intended to allow for more candidates to run for office because the area is smaller, but there have been some unintended consequences. Case in point is in Belmont, where two trusted and talented incumbents are running against each other in District 4.
Tom McCune is a nuts-and-bolts councilmember who focuses on the basic stuff of running a city. Every council should have a member with this type of eye, who looks at infrastructure closely to ensure quality of life remains high. His focus is strong, and his attention to detail is admirable.
Davina Hurt also knows these details, but is also a dreamer and an achiever with aspirations of creating a better city, one focused on the promise of tomorrow. She has been on the council for nearly a decade and has seen it progress from being entrenched in development disputes to creating several long-term plans to address housing, economic vitality, parks and recreation, and infrastructure.
The members of the current council are all relatively new, and Hurt has the longest tenure — that’s important for bringing up context and history about important decisions. In her tenure, she has been mayor and vice mayor, and led critical discussions on police and public safety in 2020 and beyond.
Hurt is also a known quantity on state and regional boards including the California Air Resources Board and as chair of the Bay Area Air Quality Management District board, where she is leading the charge toward building electrification to address climate change.
In an ideal world, it would be excellent to have both Hurt and McCune continue to serve on the council as both do their homework and provide important perspectives and insight. However, there is a choice to be made, and Hurt’s experience on the council and her historical knowledge of the city’s issues make her a stronger choice. We trust that McCune will stay involved in the city as he has before on the Planning Commission and the Finance Committee. In fact, it’s hard to think of him not lending his expertise in the city.
In District 2, Cathy Jordan is a clear choice. She has served on every elected board in the city, including a previous turn on the council and knows the issue up and down. Running against her is Ken Loo, and he brings good perspective on particular issues like field access and clarity in budget documents. However, Jordan is better versed on the wide range of issues important for all the city’s residents. She deserves your support.
(2) comments
Remember this when you vote in this District "chair of the Bay Area Air Quality Management District board". Davina has zero expertise in this arena, yet is a strong proponent of the natural gas ban. Why, because it sounds good. Regardless of other opinions and a confirmation by the US Supreme Court that banning natural gas is essentially illegal, she and the other members of that Air Quality District Board are still pushing total electrification. I can't vote for Tom but he is the best choice. He has stated a viable approach to electrification based on customer preference without mandates. Besides, Davina Hurt is fully committed member of the swamp that we need to root out for California's sake. If any of you ever dare to make a presentation at the Council meeting, be ready for a smirking Davina.
Davina Hurt is a very divisive figure in Belmont politics, who regularly ignores and belittles residents who disagree with her. Tom McCune also often ignores residents with differing opinions, but is not so condescending in his responses. He is more level-headed and focused on the facts, and more likely to consider both sides of issues. So, he is the best choice to represent all residents.
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