Schmidt, Borak, Jellins for Menlo Council

The caliber of candidates for three spots on the Menlo Park City Council has never been higher, and despite attempts by candidates to run as philosophical "slates," we find the distinctions more subtle.

Menlo Park historically has experienced not only a unfortunate tendency to label candidates as "pro-growth" or "residentialist" but to tolerate disrespectful and inexcusable sniping among council members. No political constituency in the city is well-served by such behavior, and if real progress is to occur in tackling difficult traffic and growth issues, voters need to elect candidates who will move us away from labels and emotional debate.

We believe incumbent Steve Schmidt and first-time challengers Mary Jo Borak and Nicholas Jellins offer the best combination of talent to bring about more effective governance in the city.

In his first term on the council, Schmidt has proven himself a strong defender of neighborhood interests while also an independent thinker willing to compromise and take positions unpopular among some of his strong supporters. A retired architect and resident of the Willows, Schmidt's focus has been on regional solutions to traffic problems.

Mary Jo Borak has served on the city Planning Commission for the last five years and is a policy analyst for the state Public Utilities Commission. She expresses frustration about the quality of traffic studies done for the council and believes tighter building regulations are needed to protect the character of Menlo Park's residential neighborhoods. She also emphasizes the need for better recreational facilities.

Nicholas Jellins, an attorney with three young children, has been on the Planning Commission for the last two years and is on the county Democratic Central Committee. He emphasizes his ties to the Belle Haven and East Palo Alto communities and his desire to see the city and the elementary school districts work more closely together to share resources. Jellins has a tendency to talk in broad generalities about consensus-building and creating a "balanced and reasonable" approach to government instead of offering specific positions and solutions. We hope his caution will evolve into constructive problem-solving once elected.

The other two candidates are incumbent Bernie Valencia, a marketing consultant, and Toni Stein, an engineer currently working on her doctorate in environmental engineering. Valencia (elected four years ago as Bernie Nevin before taking back her maiden name) has focused on youth and senior issues and is on the master plan advisory committee for parks and recreation. She has had a poor council attendance record due to out-of-town work travel for her employer (a conflict she says has been eliminated by becoming a consultant). Stein, who has only lived in Menlo Park for three years, emphasizes her experience in solid waste policy and her expertise in air quality issues.

Among five qualified candidates, we recommend Steve Schmidt, Mary Jo Borak and Nicolas Jellins as the best equipped to forge a stronger and more effective city government.