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It seemed like it was just a few years ago when residents felt as if the council majority was not responsive and was forcing a Safeway deemed too large for the city through the planning process. Just a few years later, the city’s leadership was chided for taking too long in its decision making and allowed for too much community input when it came to important city decisions. The drawn-out battle for a tree on Easton Drive was one such example of studying an issue to death. In recent years, the council has struck a new balance — responsiveness and openness with the right amount of decisiveness.

The city is at a pivotal point in its history. There is an important downtown plan for future development, labor contracts have been a small point of contention, the economy has had its way with its heavy reliance on auto sales and hotel tax and there is the looming specter of high-speed rail and its potential impact on the tony enclave. The city is fortunate to have four strong candidates for City Council this election with incumbents Cathy Baylock, Ann Keighran and Rosalie O’Mahony all running to retain their seats and challenged by Planning Commissioner Michael Brownrigg. The challenger has a firm grasp of city issues and a keen understanding of economic development. However, his voice is not terribly unlike the makeup of the current council.

Keighran has proven to be a strong consensus builder with a no-nonsense take on a variety of issues. Baylock represents a point of view cherished by a core group of residents. It can be argued that O’Mahony should make room for fresh perspective, but she continually proves to be a reliable voice for pragmatism and provides some needed historical perspective for a balanced council that is still finding its footing. In addition, O’Mahony’s deep understanding of infrastructure and her relationships she built over the years on regional boards helps draw needed transportation money to the city. While her tenure has been long, she still has the will and know-how to perform well for the city. If the current civility remains, we would encourage her to make this her last campaign.

The city may be known for its drawn-out political brawls over a variety of issues, but the recent calm approach to important issues has been a breath of fresh air. Brownrigg should be commended for his desire to further serve the city and we encourage him to stay involved in his capacity on the Planning Commission. But for now, the best choices for Burlingame are clearly the incumbents.