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The Island’s CANDIDATE QUESTIONNAIRE

Name: Marie Gilmore

Age: 49

Occupation: Attorney 

Relevant experience

City Council Member since 2003

Chair of the Planning Board

President of the Recreation & Parks Commission

 Attorney 

Why are you running for this office?:  Alameda needs a full time Mayor to focus on

building consensus on a locally-grown solution to Alameda Point and supporting the school

district as it battles State funding cuts. I decided to run for Mayor because I have the energy and commitment to be a full time Mayor and I believe I have the skills to bring people

together to solve problems. I love this community and if elected Mayor, my office will be

open and accessible and, together, we can protect and enhance our quality of life. 

Why should we vote for you?: There are several distinct reasons I offer for my 

candidacy. I never wavered in my support of the renovation of Alameda Theatre and never

cast a vote against it. I not only supported the Towne Centre but also fought to cut the

timeline to complete the project from 15 to 7 years. I am the only candidate that has made

a dedication to our local school system the number one priority for the Mayor.

This type of leadership is why the Alameda Firefighters, Alameda Democratic Club, East Bay Young Democrats, Alameda County Democratic Party, Asian Pacific American

Democratic Caucus, Alameda County Democratic Lawyers Club, National Women’s

Political Caucus-AN and Alameda County Central Labor Council have endorsed my 

campaign for Mayor.

What do you feel are the roles and responsibil i t ies of the office you’re

seeking?: Except in emergencies, the office of Mayor has no real differences to that of 

council member, in terms of official duties under the Charter. However, I believe the

central job of the Mayor of Alameda is to work full time to marshal community energies

and resources to tackle the most significant issues facing the city: Education, public safety,

infrastructure and major development projects. This is the I will bring to the Mayor’soffice.

What do you think is the most pressing issue you would face if elected and

what would you do to address i t?: Our school system is our most vital piece of 

infrastructure. Closing school sites and sending kids to overcrowded classrooms would be

an historic step backwards for the community of Alameda. We need a Mayor who will

make education a city priority.

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 As Mayor, I will work with school district officials and teachers, as well parents and

businesses, to bring to the community a set of steps we must take to keep our schools great 

and fight school closures and overcrowded classes. This includes support for an equitable

parcel tax.

What do you think needs to be done with Alameda Point – an d what steps

would you take to make that happen?: I am pleased that we continue to move

forward on the cleanup with the Navy. We must now support and encourage the

construction and opening of the new Veterans’ Clinic. 

 As Mayor, I will ask City staff to work with consultants experienced in Alameda to develop

plans for Alameda Point that meet the community’s goals: commercial and job creation

projects surrounded by open space, recreational opportunities and a sensible housing plan.

In short, the City must be in the driver’s seat regarding the development of Alameda Point.

I believe we can arrive at a consensus on a plan quickly since we have done so much work to date. Then, the City and the community can work together to attract investment and

implement projects. The impact financially to the city must be at least neutral and we

should seek innovative projects that could actually share revenue with the City.

In short, I also believe it is unnecessary to create a costly new bureaucracy at City Hall – in

the form of a development corporation – to accomplish these goals. Our city staff and

experts right here in Alameda can do this without the need for yet another agency.

What steps would you take to bolster Alameda’s economic base?: I would

like to start by filling up retail and commercial vacancies with more locally-owned

independent businesses. I believe the city should do more to provide incentives andtechnical assistance opportunities for local entrepreneurs who want to take their careers

into their own hands or generate a second income for their families. 

I believe Alameda must focus on attracting innovative and sustainable employers that create

good paying jobs. Our city is best suited for this kind of economic development. As

Mayor, I will focus on attracting employers in the fields of alternative energy, high

technology and other industries that create sustainable jobs and have little impact on the

environment.

Questions have been raised about whether the city is transparent enough in

conducting i ts business. Do you think this is an issue and if so, what do yousee as being specific problems and how would you seek to resolve them?: I

believe too much happens behind closed doors in Alameda. I will propose two simple

ideas: 1) We need to limit use of closed session meetings and have a workshop facilitated

by the League of Cities to remind staff and council members about the do’s and don’ts of 

the Brown Act so we can get back on the same page, and 2) We simply need to hold more

public workshops at City Hall on significant policies, rather than allowing staff to develop

policies entirely outside of public view and then rushed through City Council meetings in

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tight timeframes that offer little public input. Council meetings also need to be more

public friendly--public comment should be at the beginning of the agenda, not the end, so

citizens don’t have to wait until midnight to comment on something of interest to them. 

Pensions and retiree health benefits wil l be a huge financial issue for the

city. How would you address i t?: I believe this should be done through negotiations with Firefighters, Police Officers and other employees. I have told them that I will ask them

to make sacrifices but that I will be fair. I have explained to them that we cannot get into

ballot measure fights and that the taxpayers support them and the work they do keeping 

our city safe and functioning, but expect them to share the pain during tough times. That’s

 why Alameda’s Firefighters and the Alameda County Central Labor Council have

endorsed me for Mayor.

Would you seek to preserve Measure A or amend it and if you’d ame nd it,

under what circumstances would you do so?: I don’t believe it is necessary to

amend Measure A to build a project at Alameda Point that the community can support. I

am open to getting the public’s input on modifications to Measure A that would enhance Alameda’s long term quality of life but keep it a residential community with a small town

feel. I would only support changes if there was community consensus on some common

sense amendments.

How are you financing your campaign and to whom ar e you reaching out

for money?: My husband and I put in a contribution and I am seeking funds from local

residents and business people, as well and friends and colleagues from our professional

circles. I have not and will not take contributions from SunCal or any other developer with

an interest in Alameda Point.