Cynthia Garfield
Candidate for City Council Member, Pacific Grove, District 1 · Appointed Council Member City of Pacific Grove
Cynthia Garfield has served Pacific Grove since 2016, initially elected to a term running through 2020, and was appointed unanimously by her council colleagues in January 2025 to fill a vacancy. She holds master's degrees in Business/Entrepreneurship and Social Work Administration, which she says she draws on as a facilitator, business planner and trained social worker. She has served on the boards of the Ventana Wildlife Society and Point Lobos Foundation, led the Library Foundation as president through a major renovation of the historic Carnegie library, and volunteers at the Monterey Bay Aquarium and with Friends of Perkins Park.
Positions in brief
Garfield's platform centers on financial discipline, environmental stewardship, clean public spaces, walkability, and support for local businesses, continuing priorities she says she championed during her time on the council.
In her candidate statement, Garfield says Pacific Grove's coastline, open spaces and small-town character take financial discipline and city services that effectively support safe streets, environmental stewardship, clean public spaces, real walkability and thriving local businesses, and says she championed these priorities during her first council term and again since being appointed in January 2025. She points to her social work training as giving her an understanding of the financial and housing pressures facing residents and how those pressures affect whether city services work for people, and cites her board service with Ventana Wildlife Society and Point Lobos Foundation as part of her community involvement beyond City Hall.
On the issues
Says protecting Pacific Grove's coastline, open space and small-town character takes financial discipline paired with effective city services.
“Protecting them takes financial discipline and city services that effectively support safe streets, environmental stewardship, clean public spaces, real walkability, and thriving local businesses.”
Source →Points to her board service with conservation groups as part of her commitment to environmental stewardship.
“served on the boards of Ventana Wildlife Society and Point Lobos Foundation”
Source →Says her social work background gives her an understanding of the financial and housing pressures facing residents and how they affect city services.
“I understand the impacts of financial and housing pressures, and the challenges that determine whether city services work for residents.”
Source →
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