Editor,
The two incumbents running for Belmont City Council, Davina Hurt and Tom McCune, should be voted out because this council has been the least transparent and responsive in the 26 years I have lived here. The councilmembers generally vote in lockstep, ignore and avoid discussion of differing opinions, and fail to question staff assertions.
A good example is the secrecy surrounding the results of a costly $133,000 survey in April, to determine support for new taxes for a new community center. Even when directly pressed by residents, the council would not release some key findings of the survey, including how many respondents supported the community center tax.
Another example of lack of transparency is that the council has approved “action” minutes for council meetings, and allows the same for committee meetings, despite complaints that such minutes seldom give details of comments by residents. Compounding the lack of transparency, the council has ignored requests that committee meetings be recorded, either by video or audio. The “action” minutes and lack of recordings show that the council does not value or encourage resident input, and that such input is marginalized.
Please vote for newcomers Pat Cuviello and Ken Loo for the council. Belmont desperately needs fresh faces and independent thinkers who will value transparency, question the status quo, openly discuss varying opinions, and respond to the concerns of all residents, not just their supporters.
Tim E. Strinden
Belmont
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