San Mateo City Council members Diane Papan and Larry Patterson spoke with the senior Government and Economics class on Oct. 4 about the policy-making process at the city level.
The City Council members visited because Government students are currently learning about local democracy.
“The visit … surrounded the question: is the local democratic process working as it should?” said Government teacher Heather Saldon. “We talk a lot about what a perfect democracy looks like and what role our elected officials play, what role do we play as residents or citizens, and that idea goes a lot beyond just showing up to vote.”
The City Council members spoke about policy issues such as the addition of pump stations in Shoreview, the increase of mortgage and the $1 Billion Wastewater Treatment Plant.
“[The first issue was about the] idea that any city [can] collect taxes and fees and then maintain infrastructure,” Sadlon said. “The second thing they talked about [was] relevant to the Proposition 10 that’s on the ballot this coming November. [It’s] about rent control and about the idea that housing is getting more and more expensive in the Bay Area.”
The City Council encouraged students to become aware of the current issues and reach out to their City Council and give feedback.
“Going to the City Council presentation opened me up to the issues that are going on in my community, such as the reasons behind the increase in rent and what are some solutions for it,” said senior Evelyn Carrillo. “I learned that it’s important to vote and give your input back to your community by reaching out to City Council members.”
The role of the City Council is to primarily set policies, but they rely on voting citizens to prioritize policies.
“One of the areas where I think there is real value from the voting process, in addition to electing qualified people as the city council, is on money issues,” Patterson said. “I think it’s valuable for the city to go to the community and explain why that’s important and how the money is going to be used and set up safe guards to make sure the money gets used as promised. I think that’s a real good use of the voting process, that way you get to express your values.”
Due to this visit, students were able to ask questions and see how transparent the decision making process is.
“Although many seniors are not able to vote yet, I think it’s still crucial that we have an understanding of the problems that face our community,” said senior Kiana Imani. “By interacting with our City Council members,we can express our thoughts, concerns and possibly gain new insights.”
Wanting a change in the community can begin with a vote. Having the City Council speak with students showed them every vote mattered.
“We know that voter turnout is quite low for the 18 to 20 age group. I want that to be higher,” Sadlon said. “I want kids to feel like they have a state that their vote does matter especially if they show up in large numbers. What you want can happens long as you show up. That’s the first step.”
