It is also as good a time as any to thank all the candidates for their time, talents and commitment to service. It's a safe bet that no one runs for Midcoast Community Council for the glamour of it all. No one subjects himself to the tumult of Coastside fire services merely to satisfy ego. And no one looks for a seat on the generally all-but-invisible Montara Water and Sanitary District hoping for glory.
Given the online tirades that have dogged some candidates this election season, you have to wonder why anyone would subject herself to the slings and arrows of Coastside politics.
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Midcoast Community Council: Three seats are available on what had become, by most accounts, a dysfunctional board. We think Neil Merrilees, Bob Ptacek and Howard Lieberman are the best choices. Merrilees possesses common sense as well as real-world knowledge of land-use issues, and we think he would be a consensus builder on a board that desperately needs one. Ptacek is a veteran of Coastside politics who always does his level best to hear both sides of an issue, which is a rare quality among local politicians. Lieberman is an incumbent with a spotty meeting attendance record and a bit of a fiery demeanor. But without his harping, the MCC likely would have continued on its current, pointless path.
Fire districts: This one was tough. We suggest voting for the most articulate, thoughtful of the candidates and hoping they make smart decisions. In other words, we do not advocate simply voting the "pro-CalFire" ticket, though we wholeheartedly support efforts to end years of strife by injecting professional state management into the local fire department. That is why we suggest you vote for incumbent Jerry Donovan and union-backed challengers Gregg Hosfeldt and John Draper in the Half Moon Bay fire district and Chris Cilia, another pro-union man, in the Point Montara fire district.
Montara Water and Sanitary District: This race turned nasty in the last few weeks after revelations that challenger Richard Bulan had fallen years behind on his local taxes, including the MWSD assessment. Incumbent Kathryn Slater-Carter later admitted that she had fallen behind on property taxes for a Nevada vacation home. Meanwhile, incumbents Slater-Carter and Scott Boyd ignored the Review's repeated calls for an endorsement interview. We continue to back Bulan because we think some new blood would still be valuable on the board, but we were disappointed to learn a self-described fiscal watchdog had lost track of his tax bill.
Ultimately, your vote is your own. Each vote is very important in local elections like these. Make your voice heard.
- Editorial board
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