Honorable City Council Members:
Let me first thank you all for your continued dedicated service to our city. I know first hand how much time, effort and at time stress, being a council member includes.
As I understand it, you will be selecting a council member tonight to finish off the term of Ray Mueller. Im sorry that I cannot be there in person tonight, but as you know, the holiday season has created very full calendars for many of us, and I have a prior conflict tonight.
I would like to make a recommendation to you though. Please select Catherine Carlton to fill Rays remaining 2 years. Her experience as a council member and as an elected official can help ensure that the person assuming this position adds value to the council, and right away. As Im sure you all experienced, theres a lot to learn in your first year or so of being an elected council member. Catherine can "hit the ground running" and ensure that this transition goes well.
Catherine has been elected twice and is clearly someone the people in our district (in which I live) support.
Quite frankly, I also think she brings a slightly different perspective to many of the issues that Menlo Parks City council wrestles with, and I think thats a good thing. Adding that kind of diversity of thought is an important consideration.
I understand why you chose to not schedule another election to fill this spot, but I urge you to consider the likelihood that Catherine Carlton would likely have prevailed if we had pursued one....
With best regards,
John Boyle
Former MP City Council Member
