Monthly Archives: June 2011

Burlingame Vice Mayor Jerry Deal announces re-election campaign

BURLINGAME, CA – Burlingame’s Vice Mayor Jerry Deal is making it official that he will be running for re-election to the Burlingame City Council.  “The last four years have only reinforced my commitment to my community and public service,” Deal said Monday. “Now more than ever, we need strong, focused leaders to make the right decisions for Burlingame.”

Deal knows the Burlingame community well, and is a committed leader on the issues that matter most to our area: high speed rail, balancing the budget, shared safety services, education, recreation and environmentally sustainability. He’s been a consistent voice for balancing the community’s needs and financial responsibility.  Vice Mayor Deal is especially proud of the Council’s ability to balance the budget this year without any employee or service cuts and bringing future financial sustainability to the City of Burlingame. 

Regional issues such as High Speed Rail are also of great importance to Burlingame.  Furthering his regional influence, Deal was elected on June 24th to the Peninsula Corridor Joint Powers Board (CalTrain) by a vote of the City Selection Committee of the San Mateo County Council of Cities.  Deal is currently also the Vice Chair of SamTrans (fixed bus routes and paratransit services in San Mateo County) as well as a Board Member of the Peninsula Congestion Relief Alliance.  This places Deal and the city of Burlingame in a position to influence the outcome of transportation services throughout the county as well as High Speed Rail. 

Deal is looking forward to the campaign, talking with residents about their priorities for the city and ensuring that our community is well represented both in City Hall and regionally.

John Horgan: Deal’s appointment is a ray of hope

By John Horgan
San Mateo County Times
Posted: 06/27/2011 09:55:06 PM PDT

There’s a hint of hope for those who’d like to see an occasional dissenting voice on the Peninsula Corridor Joint Powers Board.

With the appointment of Burlingame City Councilman Jerry Deal to the group that governs Caltrain, at least one member of the nine-person body now has a track record of skepticism regarding the rail line’s intimate relationship with the California High-Speed Rail Authority.

Caltrain has agreed to allow the planned high-speed setup to utilize the commute line’s right of way in return for infrastructure upgrades.

Until Deal’s arrival on the JPB, the entity had been dominated exclusively by appointees eager to march in virtual lock-step with high-speed rail on the Peninsula. Deal has been a critic of such one-way posture during his tenure on the Burlingame council, which is worried about the impact of the proposed line on its quiet downtown.

Deal replaces the late Omar Ahmad, a San Carlos councilman who passed away unexpectedly in May. Not all that long ago, there had been a concerted push to have Deal named to the JPB, but Ahmad got the nod instead.

JD Selected for JPB

By Joe
Burlingame Voice
Posted: June 25, 2011

Burlingame finally has representation on the Joint Powers Board that owns and operates Caltrain.  Last night Jerry Deal was selected to fill the seat that was formerly held by the San Carlos mayor who recently passed away.  Deal had been neck-and-neck in the voting the last time and was able to gain the seat this time around.

Given that the Burlingame City Council’s views on High-cost Rail are pretty well known around the County, Deal’s selection could be interpreted as a vote by a majority of the other cities for much closer inspection, if not out-and-out challenges, to the California High-cost Rail Authority.  About time!

This also means Deal’s re-election to the council this Fall gains importance beyond the city borders