The City of Burlingame needs an independent city clerk. The city clerk, according to State law, is responsible for maintaining all public records, ensuring access to those records for members of the public and is the elections officer for the city. Such vital functions protect the public’s ability to access information and provides for a degree of oversight of our electoral process.

Members of our current city council have placed Measure I on the city ballot to ask voters to place the office of the city clerk under the authority of the city manager so that the office will no longer be accountable to the voters, but rather to the manager appointed by the council.

Burlingame voters should reject this option. While Burlingame has little history of corruption, why should voters diminish their ability to hold their elected officials accountable and remove one of the most effective checks on institutional power and influence?

An independent city clerk is the guardian of the public’s right to know about city meetings, to have access to critical documents about a range of city issues and a city clerk ensures that all elected officials conduct themselves according to the law and can hold them accountable if they do not.

Burlingame voters have rejected similar proposals three times in 1970, 1976 and in 1999.

Measure I is simply an attempt to silence the people’s watchdog in city hall.

To preserve access to public records and to maintain the public’s voice Vote No on Measure I.