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Related Topics: Foster City, Calif.
Foster City, Calif. (Map, News) - A day after San Mateo County allowed aspiring politicians to pick up paperwork to declare candidacy in this November’s City Council elections, five Foster City residents have already pulled their papers.
In addition to incumbents Linda Koelling and Rick Wykoff, Planning Commissioner Art Kiesel, San Mateo Unified High School District board member Marcia Cohn-Lyle and recently appointed Education Committee member Huijin Ring have all taken the first steps toward one of the three spots up for grabs.
Foster City’s third incumbent, Mayor Ron Cox, is ineligible for candidacy after serving two full terms on the council.
City Clerk Therese Calic said the rush to acquire filing papers this year is surprising, and may be due to the open seat in the race. Unseating incumbents, she said, is often looked at as more daunting.
“I ran two years ago and came in third with two open seats,” said Kiesel, beaten by current councilman John Kiramis in 2005. “So I took this as a great opportunity to get involved.”
Cohn-Lyle, coming off a dozen years on the school board, said her experience there has prepared her for Foster City’s biggest stage.
Ring, who was appointed to the Education Committee last month, doesn’t have the same board or commission experience, but has been part of the Foster City High School Foundation since its inception. Planning for a charter high school is set to begin once plans are finished on a 15-acre site, which should wrap up by the end of the year.
The nomination period is open until 5 p.m. on Aug. 10.
For additional information on City Council candidacy, contact City Clerk Therese Calic at (650) 286-3253 or at tcalic@fostercity.org.
