Politics & Government

Snapshot of a Supervisor Candidate: Terry Nagel

Patch asked each supervisor candidate a few questions to help you decide in the upcoming election.

1) How would you introduce yourself to the voters?

I've served on the Burlingame City Council for eight years and am currently serving my second term as mayor. I came to public office via a different route than the other candidates. I'm the mother of three grown children, a former PTA president and have volunteered for community causes for 34 years. I've worked all my life, mostly as an editor. For the past 10 years I've worked as a nonprofit manager, where I've learned to bring people together to solve community problems without spending tax dollars. I was recruited to run for city council after I organized hundreds of residents and convinced PG&E to spend $2.4 million fixing our circuits and reducing power outages.

 2) What would you prioritize if you got voted in?

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  • Promoting a strong business climate that creates jobs
  • Managing our tax dollars wisely and reforming government
  • Expanding our transportation options and adopting a county-wide transportation plan
  • Promoting green initiatives

 3) Who are your primary supporters?

[My primary supporters are] more than 500 community leaders and members; The Daily Post; Sandie ArnottSan Mateo County Treasurer-Tax Collector; Bill Schulte, Board Chair, Sustainable San Mateo County; Yoriko Kishimoto, Founder, Peninsula Cities Consortium and Co-Founder, Friends of Caltrain; Lee Duboc and Henry Riggs, Co-Founders, Citizens for Fair and Responsible Pension Reform and Steve Jordan, CEO, National Disaster Resiliency Center.

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4) What issue do you feel most strongly about and what's your position?

We need to address escalating employee compensation costs, which are continuing to grow while revenues shrink. Salaries and benefits are the biggest line item in the county's budget. I've been working on this issue for five years. A Compensation Task Force I appointed when I was Chair of the San Mateo County Council of Cities presented more than 50 recommendations on this topic in 2009, and my own city of Burlingame has made significant progress in reducing costs.

 5) What's one thing most constituents don't know about you?

I owned and operated a small business for 18 years, finding thousands of out-of-print books each year for universities, libraries, businesses and individuals.

For more information on Terry Nagel, visit her website.


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