I am writing this Council Corner before the November 6th election. At the time of this writing I have no idea as to the outcome as to who will be elected. No matter what the outcome of the election I am compelled to share my thoughts about the campaign.
Unfortunately the campaign became about an issue that is not even a municipal function. The building of an academic education facility is the function of the San Mateo Union High School District and is in no way the responsibility of the City. The half truths, misinformation and confusion perpetuated by the members and local and outside supporters of the Charter School Foundation created the greatest disservice to this community I have seen in my 30 years in Foster City.
The campaign did not focus on the candidate’s experience, ability to work with four other councilmembers, service to the community, how they would accomplish their goals or their knowledge of municipal functions and services. At one of the candidate’s forum with a newspaper, I finally felt I had to say that I was not running for the school board, I was running for the municipal office of the City Council. The constant discussion of a non-municipal issue served to divert all attention away from those issues that come under the jurisdiction of the City. The constant discussion of this non-municipal issue was the most divisive thing to occur in this City in years.
If I have been re-elected I will continue to focus my energy on municipal functions such as fiscal responsibility, public health and safety issues, infrastructure maintenance and repair, parks and recreation activities, and the other functions required to maintain the quality of life we have in Foster City.
In addition, if I have been re-elected, I will work to maintain the positive relationship the present Council has demonstrated with whoever else is elected. No matter the outcome of the November 6th election, I would hope the City Councilmembers will focus on the fact that they were elected to represent all the citizens of Foster City and they will address all the issues for which a municipality has responsibility.
Again, I wrote this before the election because it is important to me to be very clear about how I feel regardless of the outcome. I wish to thank all of the many good people who supported me and gave me encouragement to stay the course of honesty, integrity, and professionalism. Thank you one and all.
Councilmember Rick Wykoff can be reached via email rwykoff@fostercity.org
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