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Fire board incumbents running for reelection
Another member of the Menlo Park Fire Protection District board is running for reelection this fall.
Virginia Chang Kiraly, who was elected to the board in November 2011, has qualified for the Nov. 3 ballot, according to the San Mateo County candidate roster. Her seat and that of fellow incumbent Rob Silano, who was also elected in November 2011, are up for reelection. Silano has also qualified for the ballot and filed his candidate statement July 24.
Upon her election, Chang Kiraly became the second woman ever to serve on the Menlo fire board. She ran for reelection uncontested in 2015.
Board directors serve four-year terms, with elections held every two years.
The fire district serves Menlo Park, Atherton and East Palo Alto, as well as nearby unincorporated communities such as North Fair Oaks and Stanford Weekend Acres.
Candidate filing period open for November election
San Mateo County residents who are looking to run for office have less than two weeks to submit all required paperwork.
The county’s filing period for the November election opened July 13. If an incumbent doesn’t run for reelection, the filing deadline for non-incumbents will be extended until 5 p.m. on Aug. 12.
Candidates have until 5 p.m. on Aug. 7 to file paperwork with the county Elections Office, although city candidates need to file with their city clerk’s office and should check their business hours.
Due to COVID-19 and the shelter-in-place order, the state has issued guidelines allowing counties to send and receive candidate filing documents electronically. While the county Elections Office still offers in-person filing, electronic filing is strongly encouraged.
To file electronically, candidates need to fill out a registration form, which can be downloaded from the county’s website at smcacre.org or requested by phone or email. Upon receiving the written request and confirming the candidate’s eligibility, the county will email all filing forms out in a fillable PDF format.
Staff can assist candidates with filling out each form by phone or online videoconferencing, according to the county. Any documents requiring an oath by candidates can be done via videoconferencing, but not by phone.
In addition to electronically signing and emailing forms back to the Elections Office, candidates must print and sign each completed form and mail them or drop them off at the Registration & Elections Division. If the county doesn’t receive completed documents with original signatures by the filing deadline, the candidate will not be considered qualified, and their name won’t appear on the ballot.
Those who still want to visit the Elections Office are asked to make an appointment. Visitors must wear a mask and practice social distancing, according to the Elections Office.
For more candidate or election information, visit the Elections Office website, or call (650) 312-5222.
If you have watched any of the recent Fire Board meetings you have seen how difficult Board President Jones’ challenge is as he tries to get the current board to do its job. The other four directors are engaged in a bizarre combination of childish behavior towards one another and micromanagement of things about which they have no competence. Critical programs have stalled for months and the Chief and the staff sit in bewilderment as the board refuses to do its job.
The seats of two of the directors, Kiraly and Silano, are up for election in November. They are no longer serving the best interests of either the community or the Fire District.
Kiraly and Silano should not be running for reelection.
Before anyone endorses either of these candidates please watch a couple of recent Fire Board meetings and ask yourself if this is the kind of behavior we want from our elected officials.
The residents of the Fire District would be better served by two new directors who have sound management experience, no greater political aspirations and who will join with Director Jones to provide the quality of oversight and direction which the citizens expect and the Fire District staff deserve.
Is there a reason that Kiraly needs to be both a Fire District Director and Harbor Commissioner at the same time other than to serve her interests and needs?
https://www.smharbor.com/harbor-district-board-of-commissioners
https://www.menlofire.org/board-of-directors
Maybe it’s time for a change.
Running for two boards at once is ridiculous. It’s time to find someone to replace Kiraly on the Fire Board if it can’t keep her full interest.
“Running for two boards at once is ridiculous.”
It is also illegal. But to enforce the law a private citizen has to get permission from the State Attorney General to file suit.
From: Peter Carpenter
Date: July 27, 2020 at 4:07:59 PM PDT
To: registrar@smcacre.org
Cc: Warren Slocum <WSlocum@smcgov.org>, Don Horsley <dhorsley@smcgov.org>
Subject: Filings for Incompatible Offices
Dear Mr. Church.
I have been informed that Virginia Kiraly has filed or intends to file as a candidate for BOTH the San Mateo County Harbor District Board and the Menlo Park Fire Protection District Board.
As would be clearly evident by both of these offices being, for the first time, on the same ballot and hence voted on by the same constituents these are incompatible offices.
I hereby request that you not permit Virginia Kiraly to file for both of these offices.
Respectfully,
Peter F. Carpenter
Registered voter in both the San Mateo County Harbor District and the Menlo Park Fire Protection District
Peter Carpenter is right again!!!!
This was posted by Virginia Kiraly, in her own words, from her Facebook Page. As you can see the Menlo Park Fire Protection District is contained in the SMC Harbor District.
QUOTE: by KIRALY,
The San Mateo County Harbor District represents the entire county, so our budget must reflect that representation. As a member of the Harbor Board’s Finance Committee, I am proud that it recommended a fiscally responsible and sound budget, with the hard work of the Harbor District’s staff, especially in light of COVID-19.
For the coastside, the top three projects were: the Harbor District Surfer’s Beach bathrooms and greenspace improvements, the Surfer’s Beach Restoration/Harbor Dredge Project, and the West Trail Shoreline Protection.
For the bayside, the Harbor District remains committed to partnering with the City of South San Francisco to combat sea level rise and support ferry transportation across SF Bay by surveying and replacing docks.
Vote count:
Ayes: Chang Kiraly, Mattusch, Reyering
Noes: Brennan, Larenas
I agree with Peter Carpenter; watch the Fire Protection District meetings AND the Harbor Commission meetings on YouTube to witness dis-function taken to new heights.
Vote them all out.
@Allen. I too watched the harbor and fire board meetings. There appears to be a common denominator on both boards: Virginia Kiraly.