Council Candidates Kick Off Campaign

With a 180-degree view of the bay and the mid-Peninsula, The Van’s Restaurant provided a scenic backdrop for two Belmont City Council hopefuls to kick off their campaigns.

Although David Braustein and Eric Reed stop short of describing their respective campaigns as a team effort, they both have a strong commitment to working with the business community.

Braunstein, who is seeking his second term on City Council explained, “Eric and I share a lot of ideas and a lot of basic principles. We complement each other and know a lot of the same people.” He added, “We’ve been working with the Chamber, and this event was their idea. Once the Evite went out, it just snowballed; we have voters of all ages here---from students to seasoned members of the community.”

Of the 40 or so attendees at The Van’s on Monday, many were members of the Belmont Chamber of Commerce.

Chamber president George Burgess explained why the business community is endorsing Braunstein and Reed. “Our Council is now in a slow growth/no growth mode. Both of these gentlemen will be more receptive to matters that concern the business community.”

As the Chamber’s government affairs chairperson, Mary Morrissey Parden urged the candidates to “make business part of the solution in Belmont.” 

Eric Reed, who is currently a Belmont planning commissioner seeking his first term on City Council, echoed Burgess’ concerns. “The City is not moving in the right direction. We need to be more business-friendly and work toward a bigger tax base. If we want do things like turf the Belmont Sports Complex and fix the roads, we need to find the money,” Reed said.

Councilmember Warren Lieberman, who is not up for re-election, was also in attendance and encouraged a grass roots effort in the campaign.

 “People need to talk to each other about this election. Send emails, talk to each other and get the word out yourselves. We need a Council that will take on the tough issues,” Lieberman said.

Each candidate addressed the crowd separately, but their message was consistent: A vital business community is key to making Belmont a better place in which to live. In addition, they both stressed the importance of engaging residents in the governmental process and their willingness to take on the tough issues of Belmont.