I’m sending this email as a written follow-up to my comments during Councilmember Reports at the City Council meeting on August 9, 2022. In recent weeks, several Menlo Park residents have reached out to me to inquire whether the city commissioned a poll that asked questions about the upcoming ballot initiative and the trustworthiness of specific councilmembers. From these residents' perspective, it seemed that the entities behind the poll were intent on hiding their identities.
I made it clear to the residents who reached out to me that this poll wasn’t backed by the city, and that the city had no knowledge about its purpose or the parties who commissioned it. To try to provide these residents with an answer, I also reached out to the authors of the initiative and officials at the Ravenswood City School District about the poll. Both parties informed me that they did not commission the poll.
While the entities (or persons) who commissioned this poll may be well within their legal rights in obscuring their identities, I would encourage them to identify themselves and be forthright with the public about their motives so that we as a community can have a discussion rooted in transparency and accountability.
Drew Combs
Councilmember
City Hall - 2nd Floor
701 Laurel St.
tel 650-924-1890
menlopark.org
