Burdo a good choice for San Anselmo

Four people are running for two seats on the San Anselmo Town Council. Steve Burdo, one of two incumbents, stands out.

As a collaborative communicator and listener, Burdo has used his 10 years of San Anselmo public service to make a difference.

The track record is impressive: He helped bring together all stakeholders in the push to rehabilitate Memorial Park (on time, under budget), organized a listening rally after racist and antisemitic acts were discovered in the town, pushed to create a racial equity committee and worked with business owners to compromise on an outdoor dining “parklet” plan.

In showing his commitment to emergency preparedness, Burdo, the town's vice mayor, serves as a director for the Ross Valley Fire Department, the Marin Wildfire Prevention Authority and the Marin Emergency Radio Authority. His background in public safety — working as a public information officer for Contra Costa County — has proven to be an asset.

Burdo called the racial equity committee he helped found “the model” for Marin communities.

“There's a long way to go, certainly,” said Burdo, noting that the committee focused on equity training for town staff and for performing an equity audit. “It's about having a place where people can talk about these issues.”

The second seat on the council deserves a longer discussion. Incumbent Ford Greene, a lawyer, has used his forceful — sometimes bombastic — style to represent residents for 15 years. He knows the issues and knows the squeaky wheel gets the grease. His style is a turnoff for many.

Newcomer Tarrell Kullaway, the executive director of the Marin County Bicycle Coalition, says she is focused on environmentalism and transportation advocacy. She is calling out Greene's alleged “toxicity.” In our meeting, she framed many of her answers in opposition to Greene's communication methods.

“It's time for a change. … I see a lot of things not getting solved,” Kullaway said. “I have been asked by primarily the women of this community to serve. People see what kind of qualities I can bring to the council. They are craving that.”

Greene's accomplishments include helping to save Memorial Park when it was under consideration as an emergency flood basin, pushing for more firefighters on trucks and banning gas-powered leaf blowers. He styles himself as a fighter who “pursues hard questions on tough issues.”

“I listen to criticism.

When it's accurate, I admit it,” Greene said. “When I'm wrong, I change my position.”

Kullaway is right when she says that Greene's behavior sometimes crosses lines. It prevents the IJ from endorsing him in this race. Greene may be described as someone who “ruffles feathers,” but his experience on the council has garnered endorsements from a strong list of fellow elected officials in the county.

Kullaway's position with the Marin County Bicycle Coalition is a concern as it relates to elected office. As one of the most-powerful nonprofit organizations in Marin, MCBC often weighs in on transportation issues. It is a great asset promoting a beneficial way of life in Marin County, but the idea of having the group's leader serve in public office is a turnoff.

The group has always been political. Even now, MCBC's website includes candidates' answers to a cycling-focused questionnaire. For the potential conflicts in governance, the IJ is not endorsing Kullaway for a seat on the council.

Guy Meyer is the fourth candidate on the ballot. The 57-year resident is focused on “local power, local decisions and local community rights.” He is a renter who strongly opposes the state's housing mandate as well as the cost associated with the two San Anselmo tax measures on the ballot. Meyer's lack of experience in politics is a detriment to his campaign.

Only Burdo fulfills all the criteria needed for our endorsement in the race on the San Anselmo Town Council this November.

November election endorsements are being prepared now. Find them as they are published at marinij. com/opinion/endorsements.