Endorsements

During my years as Mayor of San Jose, I learned the value of having Council members who work hard to serve residents and taxpayers. Tina Walia is ready to go to work for the residents of Saratoga. She has years of experience related to issues that are challenging cities throughout California. In her 10 years as a Saratoga Planning Commissioner, she has been a major contributor to the decisions and policies made to protect Saratoga residents and neighborhoods.

A candidate with your qualifications and dedication to public service is rare in this city. I'm honored to endorse you for city council

Tina believes in keeping the public informed. When she was the chair, she often suggested study sessions for difficult projects and invited neighbors to express their concerns and opinions. This shows her commitment to diligently serve Saratoga.

I am proud to endorse your candidacy for Saratoga City Council.

Humble, dedicated, kind, caring, brilliant, thorough, and competent are the first words that come to mind when I think about her presence on the Planning Commission. Tina is incredibly experienced, relentless at pursuing the truth and doing what is right, even in the face of adversity created by those who find Tina's persistence inconvenient, and she is one of the good ones; no hidden agendas and no complexes that I am aware of. I completely support and endorse Tina's campaign.

I am writing in support of the candidacy of Tina Walia for Saratoga City Council. As a member of City Planning Commision, Tina has been working tirelessly to address issues of city projects to protect the integrity of our neighborhoods and Saratoga's small town character. She demonstrated the strong ability and experience required in making a positive change in Saratoga.

Letter to the editor, San Jose Mercury News,
Oct. 25, 2020

Walia would be welcome gain on Saratoga council

I’ve been a Saratoga resident for many years. I’ve observed the Planning Commission, both as a resident speaking before the commission and from watching in the audience. Tina Walia, a commissioner, has always been respectful in her demeanor toward the residents and has shown a sincere interest in the topics.

It’s evident Tina does her homework by reading the volumes of material and by asking pertinent questions. Tina’s consistent dedication to serving the community for 10 years as a planning commissioner speaks volumes.

Additionally, Tina’s work experience and knowledge utilizing her master’s degrees in architecture, business administration, and in business strategy, gives her the well-rounded ability to be an exemplary member of our Saratoga City Council.

-Nancy Kirk, Saratoga

Letter to the editor, San Jose Mercury News, Sept. 25, 2020

Tina Walia asks the right questions for Saratoga

I have lived in Saratoga for 30 years but didn’t become active in local politics until the Mountain Winery annexation/rezoning project would have allowed a 300-room hotel on a site at high risk for wildfires and served by inadequate roads.

Ultimately, the City Council voted 3-2 against the development, but I fear it could be revived. That’s why I support Tina Walia for Saratoga City Council.

Current Council members initiated the hotel project and spent much taxpayer money trying to persuade residents that our opposition was wrong and our questions were misguided.

Ten-year Planning Commissioner Walia expressed concern about inadequate notification to residents and insisted on more time to absorb thousands of pages of documents made available at the last moment.

With her expertise, due diligence and hard work, Walia asks the right questions, insists on complete answers and listens to everyone.

Saratoga residents need straight-shooter Tina Walia.

-Sandy Reed, Saratoga

I have the privilege of knowing Tina Walia as a long time resident of Saratoga. Her leadership skills and knowledge as an architect has been shown in her exemplary workings for the Planning Commission. Tina has a wonderful caring style working with and for the people. She is a person of great integrity and always focused on doing the right thing.

Letter to the editor, San Jose Mercury News, Oct. 23, 2020

Walia would bring balance to Saratoga

I support Tina Walia for Saratoga City Council. She has served on the Planning Commission for 10 years and knows how local government works. She believes in sustaining vibrancy in the historic Village as well as other commercial pockets in our city. With her business and architecture background, she understands the balance between growth and opportunity. She is sensitive to good city planning and brings focus, clarity and detail-oriented work to everything that she does.

Many complex issues, such as affordable and senior housing, affect our city. We need someone who is experienced enough to understand and differentiate between what the community wants and what is specified in the goals and policies of our general plan and zoning ordinances.

Our community needs leaders with energy, enthusiasm and resourcefulness. That’s why I support Tina Walia for Saratoga City Council.

-Rina Shah, Saratoga

Letter to the editor, San Jose Mercury News, Sept. 16, 2020

Walia is well-qualified for Saratoga City Council

During this election year, all of us want to elect the best possible people to represent us. That is true for national, state and local elections. Locally, Saratoga has several candidates vying for positions on the City Council. An outstanding and well-qualified candidate is Tina Walia.

A trained architect, she has served our city well for the past 10 years on the Planning Commission. She is always well prepared and carefully considers all aspects of a project. She respectfully listens to residents’ concerns and carefully considers them before coming to a decision.

There is a great deal of pressure to develop the last two remaining open parcels in Saratoga. The Saratoga City Council needs Tina’s experience and knowledge. I am convinced that she will do her best to demand that developers adhere to the city’s zoning, height and density restrictions and codes.

-Marcia Fariss, Saratoga

Letter to the editor, San Jose Mercury News, Oct 01, 2020

Tina Walia will look out for Saratoga's interests

I recently exchanged city disaster preparedness ideas with Tina Walia. While discussing wildfires, or COVID-19, she impressed me with her knowledge of city resources and what could be done to improve them in a crisis.

Tina’s training in architecture, leadership expertise with 10 years as a Saratoga planning commissioner exceptionally qualifies her to be a Saratoga City Council member. She has the unique abilities to understand a problem, analyze competing interests, find consensus, and make the right decisions for our community.

As a fellow architect, I watched Tina apply her architectural training and policy experience toward issues that routinely came to the commission. She has never strayed from being a citizen architect leader and evaluated each individual project for its own specificity before making a decision.

As a City Council member, I know Tina will have the community interests at heart and will make sound decisions for Saratoga.

-Hari Sripadanna, Saratoga

Letter to the editor, San Jose Mercury News, Sept. 27, 2020

Walia would put people's wishes first in Saratoga

Fourteen years ago my mother, Alice, a Saratoga resident since 1965, introduced me to some dear friends of hers, Tina Walia and her husband. We frequently engaged in lively discussions on many subjects. My mother would often ask Tina, with her sharp brain, impressive education and experience, why she didn't run for public office.

After several years of prompting, Tina joined the Planning Commission, to our delight.

Ten years have passed since then, and Tina has shown us all her exceptional talent for city government. So much so that my mother and I, until her death three years ago, began urging Tina to run for Saratoga City Council.

Tina has proved she will work tirelessly, with integrity, to support the wishes of the people of Saratoga. My mother would have been proud. I hope you will join me and cast your vote for our friend, Tina Walia.

-Teresa Ferracci, Saratoga

Letter to the editor, San Jose Mercury News, Sept. 24, 2020

Walia would be good add to Saratoga council

As a long-time Saratoga homeowner living adjacent to recently redeveloped Commercial-Visitor properties, I have appeared several times before the planning commission on which Tina Walia serves. I have found her to be courteous, respectful, and highly qualified.

Tina is not only a good listener but reasonable in offering solutions acceptable to both developers and homeowners. She has also a quality of making those who appear before her comfortable.

It is for these qualities that I endorse Tina Walia for the Saratoga City Council.

-William R. Benevento, Saratoga

Letter to the editor, San Jose Mercury News, Oct. 09, 2020

Walia brings necessary gifts to Saratoga Council

Tina Walia is an impressive candidate.

After I sat through the Sept. 9 Saratoga Planning Commission meeting, I discovered that Tina Walia was the only one who had read the document carefully and made very sensible alternative options to solve a controversial project of the Palm Villas Conditional Use Permit.

She is intelligent, diligent and fair to all parties. She tries to do the best for the community. She is a real treasure. We are lucky to have such a devoted volunteer to work for the Saratoga community.

I endorse Tina Walia for the Saratoga City Council.

-Tsing Bardin, Saratoga

Letter to the editor, Saratoga News, Oct. 16, 2020

Walia has integrity

I have been a resident of Saratoga since 1960 and have seen many council members come and go. Tina Walia has been my neighbor for 20 years, and I have found her to be a person of high integrity, hard working, honest and always concerned about the direction and quality of life for the future of Saratoga. I highly recommend Tina for city council.

-Margaret (Peg) Towns, Saratoga