Cynthia Garfield's Accomplishments
Updated: Oct 14
George Washington Park:
This issue has involved years of debate and legitimate competing concerns about wildfire prevention, forest health, neighborhood safety, and protecting sensitive habitats.
The city began working toward an updated management approach in 2019. A proposed plan subsequently encountered significant community opposition, prompting additional environmental review and a four-season biological assessment. Rather than forcing through a contentious proposal, the council worked toward a more informed approach that could balance these competing priorities.
On March 5, 2025, Cynthia personally made the motion directing staff to develop an updated long-term management plan, which passed unanimously. The council subsequently authorized interim fuel management, and the May 2026 draft plan identifies four management zones, including priority wildfire mitigation near homes.
For years, residents have raised legitimate but competing concerns about wildfire prevention, forest health, and protecting sensitive wildlife habitats. The city undertook additional biological studies rather than rushing through a disputed plan. In March 2025, Cynthia personally moved to advance an updated management plan, and the council subsequently authorized interim fuel management. That's not evidence of a councilmember sitting idle. It's an example of the difficult work required to reconcile competing priorities and move toward a responsible solution.
Proposing a solution is one thing; navigating community disagreements, addressing environmental requirements, and moving toward an implementable solution is the much harder work of governing.
Documented Council Actions:
Roads and sidewalks: Cynthia voted to approve the May 2025 Capital Improvement Plan, which includes $3.4 million in street rehabilitation and $4.31 million in total transportation projects. It identifies specific deteriorated streets, including Beacon, 10th, and Del Monte, using objective pavement-condition scores. Those are actual budget commitments, not campaign promises.
Traffic safety: She seconded the September 2025 motion advancing the Congress/Lighthouse/Central intersection engineering study. The subsequent report documented five broadside collisions in approximately a year and supported an all-way stop. The city also conducted new traffic studies and adopted reduced speed limits on several streets in April 2026.
Coastal erosion: Pacific Grove adopted a Shoreline Management Plan in 2020, including specific recommendations for protecting and relocating vulnerable trail segments. In November 2023, Coastal Commission staff acknowledged the city's adaptation work, explicitly stating that the city was "not starting from scratch." The city's coastal policies generally prioritize relocation and less environmentally damaging alternatives before new seawalls. Kevin may prefer a different approach, but that doesn't mean the city has no plan.
Financial planning: Responding to Kevin's criticisms about pension obligations: In November 2025, the council unanimously established a CalPERS Section 115 pension prefunding trust and adopted a prefunding policy. It doesn't eliminate the liability, but it does demonstrate a concrete effort to manage it.
Council Compensation: A Question of Fairness, Not Excess:
On May 7, 2025, Cynthia personally moved to defer consideration of medical benefits for councilmembers until after the budget process. That motion passed 6–1. Nick Smith made the separate motion removing medical benefits from the proposed compensation ordinance. Pacific Grove has not increased compensation for its mayor or City Council members since 1998. That's 28 years without a single raise. During that time, the cost of living has more than doubled, the responsibilities of local government have grown, and the demands placed on elected officials have become increasingly complex.
Yet councilmembers continue to receive just $420 per month, or $5,040 annually.
The recent proposal would have increased that amount to $987 per month, or $11,844 annually. Although the percentage increase sounds substantial, it represents nearly three decades of adjustments compressed into a single increase.
Consider what would happen if any other position went 28 years without a pay adjustment. Would we evaluate the eventual increase solely by its percentage, without considering the decades that had passed? Pacific Grove's proposed compensation was not outside the range being considered or established by neighboring municipalities.
There is another important distinction: California law generally allows city councils to approve compensation increases through ordinances without first submitting them to a public vote. That is the ordinary legislative process, subject to applicable legal requirements and the public's referendum rights. Councilmembers are elected to make difficult decisions about municipal finances, employee compensation, public services, and budgets. Council compensation is also a legitimate subject of public scrutiny, but a separate election is not ordinarily required for every adjustment.
Public Service Should Be Accessible to Everyone
There is a broader issue of fairness and representation.
City Council service requires substantial time for meetings, reviewing budgets, studying legislation, communicating with residents, and addressing community concerns.
When compensation remains extremely low, serving in public office becomes more difficult for working parents, younger residents, hourly employees, and people who cannot afford to sacrifice substantial personal income.
We should want qualified residents from every economic background to have a realistic opportunity to serve their community—not just retirees or those with independent financial resources.
Cynthia served on the Board of Directors of the Pt. Lobos Foundation
Cynthia was Treasurer of the Board of Directors of the Ventana Wildlife Society
Cynthia served as President of the Pacific Grove Public Library Foundation and helped lead the private/public partnership that rebuilt the interior of the library bringing it up to modern standards.
For years, Cynthia has protected our most cherished natural assets and public institutions and worked hard to preserve them for YOUR future generations.
Comments