Five candidates vie for three council seats in civil LAH campaign

By Lauren McSherry, Town Crier Staff Writer

Los Altos Hills City Council candidates Jean Mordo, Carol Gottlieb, back row, Craig Jones, center; incumbent Mike O’Malley and Colette Cranston, front row, are competing for three open seats on the council.

With only two weeks before the Nov. 2 election, Los Altos Hills City Council candidates appear to have stuck with their civility pledge. There have been no public smear campaigns, no slanderous mailings and no vandalism or thefts reported.

Lacking the drama of previous contentious council campaigns, this race has allowed candidates to stick to the issues for the most part. Last week’s candidate forum held by the Los Altos-Mountain View Area League of Women Voters was no exception.

Rather than resorting to baiting each other, the candidates addressed issues important to residents. They fielded questions about whether the council should have taken out a $2 million loan, whether there should be a cap on home size and what should be done about reopening a public school within city bounds.

During the forum, the candidates were not only respectful, in some cases they even deferred to one another. The diplomatic, tactful atmosphere of the debate was in sharp contrast to the 2002 forum when an outgoing incumbent lambasted event organizers.

The civil quality of the evening was especially evident when the candidates were confronted by an obscure question about why only certain city streets are cleaned. Most of the candidates turned to incumbent Mike O’Malley for the answer.

Other issues that have surfaced in recent weeks include the city’s role in water conservation, the 2004 Master Pathway Map and Pinewood School’s plans to relocate to the Winbigler property.

The candidates are competing for three seats held by councilmembers Emily Cheng, Bob Fenwick and O’Malley, who is seeking another term. For more on the council candidates and their qualifications, see page 6.