May 16, 2008

Supervisor an ambassador for residents in her district

Editorial

Rose Jacobs Gibson's experience and involvement in the community should convince the voters to grant her what she is billing as a third and final term on the San Mateo County Board of Supervisors.

Jacobs Gibson - appointed to the board in 1999 and later elected to two full terms - makes a convincing case for re-election given her approach to the demands of the job. As a supervisor, she must devote her energies to the special needs of her own district, which includes the cities of East Palo Alto, Menlo Park and Redwood City, and address a host of pressing countywide issues.

She served on the East Palo Alto City Council for seven years before joining the board and has been a go-between for county government officials and city residents who do not always understand each other. Jacobs Gibson also has championed the need to develop housing and provide various services for at-risk families, particularly in the underserved areas of the county.

Supervisors, who are elected at large, also must serve a countywide constituency, a challenge Jacobs Gibson embraces. She touts her involvement in the countywide strategic planning process, promotion of green building policies and a host of other issues.

Although we were disappointed in Jacobs Gibson's failure to publicly address Sheriff Greg Munks' now-infamous brothel visit, she has otherwise served her constituency ably and has earned the chance to finish her work for her district and the county.