Laura Melahn
Candidate for City Council Member, Menlo Park, District 4 · Entrepreneur / Nonprofit Director
Laura Melahn is one of the founders of the Downtown Menlo Fund and serves as Vice Chair of Menlo Park's Finance and Audit Commission.
Positions in brief
Laura Melahn is campaigning on downtown vibrancy, community connection, and street-safety improvements such as restarting the city's Slow Streets program.
According to local news coverage, Melahn wants to promote community connection and represent constituents through her downtown advocacy work. She has called for restarting the paused Slow Streets Program to make neighborhood streets safer for kids, walkers, and cyclists, and has encouraged faster, less expensive pilot programs that have already been validated by other cities.
On the issues
- Government, Elections & Democracy
Says the current council is pushing residents out of civic engagement and wants to rebuild community connection to city government.
“the way Menlo Park City Council is operating today is pushing residents out of civic engagement”
Source → - Economy & Jobs
Wants to update permitted downtown business uses to match modern shopping and community life, building on her Downtown Menlo Fund work.
“I think that Menlo Park should update permitted uses for our downtown to meet the modern world and the way people shop and live in communities.”
Source → - Housing & Homelessness
Supports building more housing in Menlo Park generally, including at the SRI International and VA sites, but did not take a public position on the specific downtown parking-lot housing plan.
“we do need to build more housing in Menlo Park”
Source → - Infrastructure & Transportation
Supports the city's Safe Streets/Slow Streets work and would explore using state law (AB 43) to lower speed limits on some streets.
“explore using Assembly Bill 43 to lower speed limits on some streets”
Source → - Taxes & Cost of Living
Supports addressing the city's structural budget deficit through a mix of spending cuts and revenue increases, and backed the city's recent fee increases.
Source →
Profiles are compiled from the candidate’s own statements and public records. We never tell you how to vote.