Marin hopefuls must answer housing, fire, pension questions
The March 3 ballot will see contested elections for two seats on Marin’s Board of Supervisors and for council posts in Mill Valley, Tiburon and Ross. One supervisorial seat, held by Supervisor Katie Rice in the Ross Valleycentered Second District is uncontested as are two spots on Corte Madera’s Town Council.
In Southern Marin’s Third Supervisorial District three non-incumbents are vying to succeed retiring supervisor Kate Sears: IT administrator Bill Bailey, investor Jack Kenney plus Mill Valley council member Stephanie MoultonPeters. The West Marin/Corte Madera/Larkspur Fourth District sees incumbent Dennis Rodoni opposed by community advocate Alex Easton-Brown.
All candidates in contested races can expect to be quizzed by voters at candidate nights, home coffees and at the IJ Editorial Board. While unopposed, Rice and Corte Madera council candidates would be politically wise to arrange a few public get-togethers and community forums to receive voter input and feedback.
Here’s a sampling of questions candidates will need to answer during the short twomonth campaign season.
All: Every candidate claims they’re for more affordable/ workforce housing but few suggest specific locations. Exactly where in your supervisorial district, city or town do you propose locating new multi-unit housing?
The greatest threat to life and property that Marin faces is wildland fire. What specific new actions – no generalities, please – will you pursue to mitigate this climate change-propelled hazard to protect Marin families and their homes?
Unfunded public employee pension deficits endured by county government, municipalities, special-purpose agencies and school districts are consuming evermore money each year to pay down the multimillion dollar debt. Public services are reduced and new taxes sought to compensate for funds diverted to pensions and retiree health care. State pension reform is stalled by powerful public employee unions. What steps will you commit to address those debts and how will you change the county/city involvement in public employee pensions?
Supervisor Damon Connolly suggests the Metropolitan Transportation Commission’s four-year “trial” of the now open Richmond-San Rafael Bridge bikeway be cut short. Do you support Connolly’s idea that the moveable bike/ auto barrier should be shifted each weekday allowing the bridge’s third upper deck lane be opened westbound to autos, buses and trucks during morning peak periods?
Third Supervisorial District candidates: Flooding under the Richardson Bay Bridge near the Heliport and Manzanita park-and-ride lot is becoming severe due to climate change. Soon there’ll be extended periods when Shoreline Highway from the US 101 off-ramp to Tam Valley will be impassable. What steps do you propose to make this area resilient due to more frequent and severe king tides?
Fourth Supervisorial District candidates: The fish versus golf debate has divided not just the San Geronimo Valley but many Marinites. Can you envision a compromise that continues to protect salmon fisheries while allowing golf or some active recreation at the old San Geronimo Valley Golf Course?
Second Supervisorial District candidate Rice: While some positive actions have been accomplished to address Ross Valley’s longstanding susceptibility to flooding, major steps to substantially mitigate or eliminate the flood risk are in limbo. Can you suggest a new approach to forge a community consensus on the path forward?
SMART has replied to this column’s California Public Document Act request by supplying voluminous data regarding its monthly, daily and per-train ridership. Given Marin and Sonoma Counties March 3 “Super Tuesday” presidential primary ballot sees Measure I, a super-majority-required proposition to continue for 30 years the rail transit agency’s one-quarter-cent sales tax, this was prudent. The public values transparency and requires hard data to make informed decisions. Since the requested documents arrived shortly before deadline, my analysis of SMART’s ridership figures will be featured in this Sunday’s column.
Columnist Dick Spotswood of Mill Valley writes on local issues Sundays and Wednesdays. Email him at spotswood@comcast.net