Editor,
I agree with Tim Donnelly who lamented the lack of competition in this season’s Burlingame City Council races. Usually we are awash with lawn signs, door knocking is rampant and the community is focused on important public policy. As an elected leader, it’s my favorite time of year.
But I disagree with him on the solution. Districted elections had a big impact on candidate participation. To start, 40% of the people cannot run because they don’t live in the odd numbered districts. With former Mayor Ann O’Brien announcing her retirement in June thereby creating an “open” seat, this would have usually meant numerous candidates running. In fact, I know several well-qualified residents who would have run for an uncontested seat. It’s not impossible to edge out an incumbent, but it is certainly harder than running for an open council position.
My strong sense is the community as a whole preferred at-large elections. We were forced to district elections by state law and a lawsuit. As we watch the experiment unfold, we can evaluate the positive and the unintentional consequences then go back to our state representatives with suggested changes. We can also keep appointing diverse commissioners and looking to mentor future candidates.
In the meantime, we are fortunate that Mayor Ortiz and Vice Mayor Brownrigg have served the city well. We don’t always agree, but they are highly engaged and caring leaders. Peter Stevenson, the District 5 candidate, is well known with an excellent track record of civic engagement.
I would encourage all residents to say YES to meaningful civic engagement. Commissions, advisory groups and attending meetings are great ways to start. These are much better alternatives than just “voting no” or worse, not voting at all.
Donna Colson
Burlingame
The letter writer is an at-large member of the Burlingame City Council, residing in District 4.
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(5) comments
Great suggestions and ways to move forward! One of the benefits of district elections is that it can cost a lot less for a candidate to throw their hat in the ring, but, as correctly noted, there may not be people in a district ready to do that. As someone who has been serving as a County Commissioner for seven years I agree that serving in such a capacity is a terrific way to get started in local government and could give someone the courage to jump into running for an elected position. Your other advice is spot on! Go to meetings, get involved to whatever degree you can and make your voice heard.
If renters had housing security, many more would be interested in being on commissions and running for office. But if your ability to remain in your community is subject to the volatility built into the rental market, it is almost impossible. Renters in Burlingame attended council meetings and pled for even the most basic protections for years, all to deaf ears on the council. They even ran a rent stabilization ballot measure in 2016 and garnered a third of the vote when up against the enormous power of the realtor and landlord lobbies. After all that, the council couldn't even muster the will to gather basic data on the rental community's realities. Burlingame has failed over half its people.
A downside of district elections: When only one candidate surfaces they automatically win.
But in Burlingame incumbents are very rarely challenged. Amounts to the same thing.
Burlingame's majority of residents are renters. Never have the writer nor any other current council member ever campaigned door to door to renters. Never. Now with her district being heavily populated by renters, will she or other council members deign to enter apartment buildings and actually speak with the voters? District elections have hopefully forced an entrenched elitist council to actually get to know the concerns of over half the population.
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