October 28, 2007

Dear Friend:

I’m writing to ask for your vote in the coming Burlingame City Council election. I have been endorsed by all four local newspapers,  as well as many community leaders and hundreds of residents. You can read my Open Letter to Burlingame Residents  and see my list of endorsers on my Web site at www.terrynagel.com.

There’s a lot at stake in this election. I urge you to take the time to look at the money flowing into the various campaigns by reading the five candidates’ campaign finance disclosure statements on the city’s Web site. You will see that I am a grassroots candidate with very few large donations and almost none from outside of Burlingame, while some other candidates are heavily backed by special interests. My only interest is what’s best for Burlingame.

I believe strongly that open government and citizen participation result in better decisions by our City Council and policies that reflect the will of the people. I support development that enhances the charm of our neighborhoods and retail areas. And I believe we need to act now to prepare for the future by addressing climate change,  improving public transit, getting ready for disasters and creating more housing options  so that our teachers, firefighters, police officers and our own children can afford to live in Burlingame. We also need creative solutions that will enable seniors to remain in our city as they downsize from large homes.

To learn more about the Burlingame City Council's accomplishments during the past fiscal year, which ended June 30, see our State of the City Report . Please read the Budget Challenges piece  I wrote that explains the realities of our city budget and the responsible position our council has taken with regard to a new Community Center and flood control. The current council is committed to finding a way of funding sidewalk repairs rather than requiring homeowners to pay for the cracks caused by trees planted in front of their homes.

If you have last-minute questions about voting or making sure your absentee ballot is counted, see the “Voter Q&A” document on the city’s Web site at http://www2.burlingame.org/Voter_Q&A.htm.

I would be honored to continue serving you. Please re-elect me on November 6!


Terry Nagel