Tag: Jerry Carlson

Atherton: Relative unknown wins landslide council victory

November 12, 2013 No Comments

by Renee Batti / Almanac

 

Image of Rick DeGolia by Dave Boyce

(Cross-posted from an expanded version of an earlier Almanac story. Image by Dave Boyce/Almanac.)

Atherton voters gave political newcomer Rick DeGolia a giant thumbs-up on election day, with 62 percent of them backing his bid for a one-year term on the City Council to fill the seat left vacant by Jerry Carlson’s July resignation.

“My name was not known when I started (the campaign), but I built a very strong relationship to a lot of people,” Mr. DeGolia told the Almanac when asked about his sweeping victory in the three-candidate race.

 

The lack of name recognition is understandable: Before January, Mr. DeGolia hadn’t served on a single town committee or commission, and before the November 2012 election, hadn’t participated significantly in the town’s often-polarized political arena.

By contrast, one opponent — Greg Conlon — has not only served on town committees for nearly 10 years, but also came in a close third in a race for two council seats last year.

The county Elections Office late last week reported Mr. DeGolia winning 1,066 votes (62.2 percent); Mr. Conlon, 357 votes (20.8 percent); and Diane Sandhu, also a relative newcomer to town civic affairs, 290 votes (17 percent). The county will update those figures on Nov. 12, according to the Elections Office website.

 

[Please continue reading this article at the Almanac Online]

Congratulations, Rick!

November 9, 2013 No Comments

Results of the 2013 Election, to fill the remaining one-year term for the seat of departed Councilmember, Jerry Carlson:

 

Screen Shot 2013-11-14 at 10.35.17 AM

Message from Rick DeGolia:

I want to thank everyone who has contributed to this campaign, whether by working on this website, hosting or attending one of the 15 neighborhood meetings, putting up a yard sign, donating to the campaign, expressing your concerns and opinions about issues facing Atherton or voting in the election.  Throughout this process, I have met more residents and made more friends than I thought possible when I began.  I am deeply honored by the depth of support that I received and I am thrilled to be able to join the Atherton City Council on December 4.

The experience of this election has strengthened my belief that Atherton is a truly special place and that people want to see change.  In addition, I want to give sincere thanks to Jerry Carlson for his exceptional service to Atherton and how seriously he represented our town in the many regional bodies in which he participated.  I am proud to count him as a friend and a mentor.  I also want to thank Greg Conlon and Diane Sandhu for their commitment to Atherton. I look forward to working with each of them on the issues facing Atherton into the future.

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Atherton voters to pick council member and consider renewing parcel tax Nov. 5

August 1, 2013

By Bonnie Eslinger, Daily News Staff Writer

Posted Online:   07/18/2013 08:18:15 PM PDT | [Re-posted here 8/1/13]

The Atherton City Council this week gave residents two reasons to go the polls Nov. 5 — to choose a new council member and decide whether to renew a parcel tax.

At its meeting Wednesday night, the council voted 3-1 to forget about trying to appoint a replacement for Jerry Carlson, who resigned mid-term on July 1. Council Member Bill Widmer cast the dissenting vote, saying “I don’t like to lose my options.”

Under state law, the council had only 60 days from July 1 to either appoint Carlson’s replacement or call for an election by July 15 to make the November ballot, according to City Attorney William Conners.

The council’s four remaining members called for the election July 11 after failing to select someone that a majority of them could agree on from among seven candidates.

Mayor Elizabeth Lewis suggested Wednesday that the council take another stab at appointing someone after Aug. 9 — the last day candidates can file to run for Carlson’s seat. Council Member Bill Widmer agreed, but Vice Mayor Cary Wiest opposed the idea, saying it would be “unfair” to candidates to effectively delay their campaigns for three weeks on the chance an appointment might be made after all.

Counci Member Jim Dobbie subsequently motioned to continue with the election, Wiest seconded it and Lewis cast a third vote, telling Widmer, “I changed my mind.”

Rick DeGolia, whose appointment to the council Lewis and Wiest had supported, told The Daily News he plans to run. John Ruggiero, whose appointment was backed by Widmer and Dobbie, said he “probably” would run as well.

[Click here to continue reading this San Jose Mercury News article.]

Atherton voters to choose council member, decide on parcel tax renewal in November

July 18, 2013

by Renee Batti
Almanac Staff

Atherton voters will choose their new council member after all: The City Council reaffirmed on Wednesday night (July 17) an earlier vote to call an election rather than appoint someone to the vacant seat.

At the same time, they will be asked to renew the parcel tax that generates some $1.86 million annually for another four years.

The four council members on July 11 voted unanimously to allow voters to fill the seat left open by Jerry Carlson’s July 1 resignation, but only after failing to agree on one of seven residents who applied to fill out the term, which ends in December 2014. . . .

[Click here to continue reading this Almanace article]

Veteran candidate and political newbie vie for seat on Atherton City Council

July 2, 2013

By Bonnie Eslinger, Daily News Staff Writer

Posted:   07/02/2013 08:10:06 PM PDT
Updated:   07/03/2013 12:21:43 AM PDT

 

A perennial candidate and a political newcomer are the leading contenders to replace Jerry Carlson on the Atherton City Council.

In fact, they’re the only candidates, so far, with a July 8 application deadline looming.

The city council decided last month to try to appoint a replacement for Carlson, who resigned mid-term on Monday. If the council can’t reach a consensus, it might call for a special election in November.

One of the candidates is businessman Greg Conlon, who came in third place last fall in a race for three council seats; he trailed second-place winner Cary Wiest by 213 votes. Conlon currently serves on the town’s finance and rail committees.

The other is Rick DeGolia, a partner with the private equity firm Exigen Capital, and vice chairman of the Atherton Civic Center Advisory Committee.

[To read this full article, please continue reading at the Mercury News.com]