Politics & Government
Two Issues for the Hercules Council: Getting Along and Restoring Public Trust
A newly elected councilman writes an open letter to the city.
Open Letter to the Citizens of Hercules,
I start by saying thank you for allowing me the opportunity to serve as your trusted servant over the next four years. That truly is how I perceive my role --- being your trusted servant.
I know that Hercules has many challenges to address, not the least of which is the huge debt coupled with the substantially reduced income. These are matters which will be with us for some time to come and which can only be approached and resolved one day at a time over the long haul.
There are, however, two issues which I see as immediate and which must be dealt with if Hercules is to more forward.
The first is that we five council members must make it a primary objective to “get along” -- to be "civil” to one another. The five of us have a joint responsibility to serve you, to do the “people’s business”, and the internal bickering must stop. Respectful debate and differences of opinion continues to be essential to effective decision making, but attacks on one another serve no purpose.
I pledge to the citizens that I will remain mindful of this reality and make getting along with my colleagues a priority without regard to my personal likes or dislikes.
The second issue is restoration of public trust. City Hall and the City Council are tarnished. It is the institutions that are flawed in the eyes of our citizens. We, the five members of the council, became that tarnished council once elected – the tarnish came with the territory.
It is we who must re-establish the public trust, -- not by reminding you that the other guys did the bad stuff but by us doing the right things, in the right ways, I further pledge to continue to be mindful of this point going forward.
It is my plan to be regularly available for face to face contact with the community at various locations throughout the city.
I can contacted at trulyindependentman@gmail.com or at 510-741-8334.
Thank you again for the opportunity to be of service.
Bill Kelly