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District 1 will soon pick a new representative for the second time since Menlo Park established City Council districts in 2018. Cecilia Taylor, who was elected in 2018, is the first Belle Haven resident to serve on the council since Billy Ray White in 1986. Voters in the district, which includes the Belle Haven and Bayshore areas of Menlo Park, will choose between retired cybersecurity professional James Rohr and software engineer Wonman Lee to represent them for the next four years.
To help voters see where they stand on key issues, The Almanac sent a questionnaire to all six City Council hopefuls running for three district seats on the Nov. 3 ballot. Each candidate was asked to answer if they favor or oppose six policies and to rate the city on eight areas.
Candidates were allowed to provide brief explanations, to explain their answers, if necessary. The responses have been lightly edited for style and clarity.
Rohr and Lee see eye-to-eye on many things. Both oppose Measure P — a ballot initiative sparked by the City Council’s plan to build affordable housing on three city-owned lots — which would require a citywide vote before any construction could take place on downtown parking lots. Rohr and Lee both support fighting the state on 80 Willow Road, a development with towers as tall as 39 stories proposed at the former Sunset Magazine headquarters that the city is being sued for delaying, and feel District 1 is overlooked compared to other areas of the city.
However, they disagree on automated license plate readers — Rohr supports ending the city’s use of the controversial technology Lee opposes.
The formerly red-lined Belle Haven does not have a full-service grocery store, pharmacy, or many commercial businesses. While Willow Village, Meta’s planned mega-development, promised to remedy that, the $3.5 billion project is now on indefinite hiatus. Willow Village was going to replace 59-acres of vacant buildings with over 1,700 housing units, 1.6 million square feet of office space and over $180 millions in public amenities.
Belle Haven has seen some major new investments in recent years. The 37,000-square-foot Belle Haven Community Campus opened in 2024, replacing the old Onetta Harris Community Center, and the Ravenswood School District just finished its $60 million renovation of Belle Haven Elementary School.
In District 2, voters will choose between a two-term incumbent and a challenger, while residents of District 4 are guaranteed a new representative, as Mayor Betsy Nash opted not to run for reelection .
See the answers of all candidates below:
Visit The Almanac’s 2026 Election Center to learn more about the local races on your ballot.
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Guest opinion: For Menlo Park's Measure P or not for P, that is the questionOctober 4, 2026 11:02 am
