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Warren Lieberman for Belmont Mayor experience Belmont leadership Belmont Mayor community service city council city councilmember community city council Belmont california belmont mayor
On The Issues
Just like any small community, Belmont is facing challenges and opportunities over the next several years. By addressing these key issues, we can strengthen and enhance the charm, character, safety, and economy of Belmont.
Infrastructure
Your support of Measure I in 2016, a ½ cent local sales tax measure, has enabled millions of dollars to be allocated towards improving our streets and storm drains. Although there is still much more that needs to be done, many roads are in much better shape than 5 years ago. And our five-year plan will result in many more being improved in the coming years. Our City has used Measure I funds for the purposes they were intended. As Mayor, I will continue to provide oversight along with the Measure I Committee that reports to you.
Public Safety
The San Mateo Consolidated Fire Department, which includes the Fire Departments of Belmont, Foster City, and San Mateo, has benefited Belmont greatly. Participating in a larger fire department has enabled us to get better access to state-of-the-art wildfire firefighting equipment. As part of a larger department, we can provide better service at a lower cost, so your tax dollars go farther.
Belmont’s police department is second to none on the Peninsula. I have served with four Police Chiefs, all of which rose through the Belmont Police Department and know our City. Our Police Department provides highly personalized service; whether it is a minor traffic accident or something more serious, when you need them, they are there for you.
Parks, Youth Sports, Open Spaces (and Libraries!)
Belmont is passionate about its outdoors! Whether it is using organic materials for the artificial turf at the Sports Complex (no rubber pellets!), creating/revitalizing parks (for example, Davey Glen, O’Donnell, Alexander Parks), working to make sure our Open Spaces and trails are available to all in a safe and inclusive manner, or supporting youth sports, I will always fight on your behalf to improve our abilities to keep our community healthy and active. I have done so ever since I began serving on the Council 17 years ago. Of course, let’s not forget the efforts that so many of us put in to ensure we were able to build and open our fantastic new library as well, even if that provides mostly for indoor learning and adventure. My track record in this area is truly unique.
Affordable Housing
While there is widespread agreement about the need to build more affordable housing in the transit corridor, the challenge is how to do this in a way that is sensitive to the needs of the neighborhoods. As the State regulates our ability to do this in ways that make the most sense for Belmont, we must find ways to be creative, just as we did with Fire House Square. The mix of affordable housing and town homes has been embraced by the neighborhood, as the design was altered to better accommodate neighborhood concerns. To the extent possible, we need to ensure new developments consider traffic and parking impacts. I have been an active voice for you and will continue, so that we are ultimately able to provide the housing we need in a way that works best for Belmont.
Senior Services
Our senior center at Twin Pines Park has served so many in creative and helpful ways. As our population ages, we must continue to look for new ways to serve our residents, especially as the technology around us undergoes significant change. We must make sure no one is left behind or feels isolated. For example, as Belmont’s Mayor during the first year of the Covid pandemic, the Councilmembers and I helped ensure that Belmont actively participated in regional programs that provided help, including food deliveries, to those who needed it.
Planning for the
Next Generation
What do we want for Belmont in the years to come? While there may not be a single answer that captures all of what we want, Belmont carried out a comprehensive planning effort twenty years ago that led to overwhelming support for having a city with a village-like look and feel to it. A city where we place high value on our outdoor recreational spaces. As we develop our plans for the years to come, this vision continues to guide me. Ultimately, we want to ensure that our plans for future generations enable them to enjoy a quality-of-life that is even better than what we enjoy today.