Sid McCausland to resign from City Council

Half Moon Bay City Council Member Sid McCausland announced his intention to resign, as soon as a replacement is found, at last night’s meeting.  He’s moving out of town, citing his need to retire some place with lower housing costs. 

In his prepared statement, McCausland warned against pro-development forces that will leave "Half Moon Bay looking like any other overcrowded California beach town", including the Half Moon Bay Review among the forces attempting to "distort every issue and twist every fact in an effort to undermine the credibility of those of us who support controlled growth".

I’ll have more on this later. But for now, here’s McCausland’s announcement.

February 15, 2005

Honorable Jim Grady, Mayor

City Council

City of Half Moon Bay

Dear Jim:

It has been my great personal privilege to serve on our City Council while Mike and Jim and Toni and Marina and I and our City staff have been accomplishing great things. I am proud to have played a small role in our accomplishments as a City Council.

63% of the votes cast by our voters in 1999 approved Half Moon Bay’s 1% per year limit on growth.  All of us have been working hard to abide by the voters’ mandate.  I extend my deepest thanks to the vast majority of our City’s residents for their support for our efforts. 

But let me sound an alarm for all of the residents of our community who believe in controlled growth. 

There are two major forces at work in our community:  there are those who are “pro-growth” and there are those who support “controlled growth”. 

In spite of the 63% vote for controlled growth, we hear every week from a very loud minority that is intent on undermining our growth controls.  During my 40-year career on the fringes of politics I have never encountered such widespread disrespect for the truth as I have encountered from Half Moon Bay’s pro-growthers.  The pro-growthers, which includes the local paper, routinely distort every issue and twist every fact in an effort to undermine the credibility of those of us who support controlled growth. 

Do not be fooled by the lies of those who seek to destroy your personal commitment to our City’s future.  The elections coming up in November 2005 will decide the fate of our 1% controlled growth limit once and for all.  The pro-growthers want you to be so confused by their propaganda that you forget what the election is really about.

If you sit on your hands, we will loose everything that our Neighborhood Alliance, our League for Coastside Protection and our City Council have been fighting to protect.  If you sit on your hands, you will find Half Moon Bay looking like any other overcrowded California beach town.  I hope you will fight for the Half Moon Bay you want to live in.

I hereby submit formal notice that I will resign my seat on the City Council as soon as my successor is named.

I retire as Chief Executive Officer of the San Mateo County Employees’ Retirement Association March 31st and my retirement income necessitates our move to a region with lower housing costs.

Suzanne and I have enjoyed our eleven years here and will cherish many wonderful memories.  I will always remember the dedicated efforts of my fellow Council members and our hard working City staff.

Respectfully,

Sid McCausland

409 Washington Boulevard

Half Moon Bay