Recently the Foster City High School Foundation wrote, in their column in the Foster City Islander, “city council majority votes to muzzle city residents”. I find that article morally disingenuous and lacking candor.
Over the past two years and for more than two hours at the council meeting of September 17th, the City Council has held hearings and has accepted input from any interested citizen on both sides of the charter school issue. Yes, my friends, there is almost always two sides to an issue.
If one were so inclined to read the minute order adopted on a 3-2 vote, you would note that the decision was: “It was so ordered, as follows:
1) Wishing the Foster City High School Foundation and Envision Schools success in their pursuit of a public charter high school;
2) Directing staff not to proceed with an advisory measure or with the formation of a Mello-Roos Act Community Facilities District that would impose a special tax on property in Foster City to finance the construction of the school building; and
3) Giving the charter school representatives until June of 2008 to come up with a financing plan for the public charter high school that does not include city bonds or city funds.”
What the City Council did, like all good public officials should do, was to listen to both sides of the issue, consider the pros and cons, as well as alternatives, and evaluate the ramifications. The five members of the City Council then exercised their responsibilities as elected officials. Each member of the Council may see issues from different perspectives and that is what took place Monday, September 17th.
In my opinion what took place was a majority of the City Council voting to protect the assets of the City and homeowners and to insure that public funds of the city are spent wisely and for municipal purposes such as public health and safety, infrastructure maintenance and repair, recreational opportunities, and other appropriate municipal responsibilities.
The City Council majority was not unwilling to listen to the residents of Foster City. What the charter high school foundation apparently did not understand is the City Council had a responsibility to listen to all who chose to speak over the last two years, for and against their project.
That, my friends, is democracy!
Rick Wykoff can be reached via e-mail rwykoff@fostercity.org
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