Tiburon council vacancy draws 2 candidates
Two candidates are vying to fill a vacancy on the Tiburon Town Council in the Aug. 29 election.
The candidates are Stefanie Cho, a retired tax adviser, and Isaac Nikfar, a member of the Parks, Open Space and Trails Commission. The victor will serve the remaining term of Noah Griffin, who stepped down at the beginning of this year.
Griffin, a civic activist and public affairs consultant, was elected in November 2021 to complete the term of David Kulik. Kulik moved to San Diego with more than three years left on his term, which ends in November 2024.
Nikfar, an appointed commissioner who ran for a council seat last year, stresses his experience in local politics. Cho, a first-time candidate, said being a retiree gives her more free time to dedicate to the betterment of the town.
“I have the time to spend days focusing on and helping to solve issues that currently are before us,” she said.
Cho, 60, has a degree in psychology from the University of California, Los Angeles. She described herself as a straightforward candidate willing to put in the time to understand and develop positions on Tiburon issues.
“It’s hard to run opposed to someone who says they have more connections in this town, because people will just accept that,” she said. “I try to be ethical and honest. That’s how I ran my business. That’s how I did well.”
Nikfar, 44, said he works in business development at Google. He graduated from San Francisco State University with a degree in business and received post-graduate certificates in business from Duke University and Stanford University.
“I believe it’s important that a town councilmember be an active member of the community with volunteer experience, know town-of-Tiburon issues and have experience working with town staff to get things done and solve problems in Tiburon,” Nikfar said.
In Nikfar’s council bid last year, he ran against three incumbents for three available seats. Despite a fourth-place finish with 1,944 votes, he hopes the support carries over to the upcoming election.
Nikfar said improving infrastructure, recreation and collaboration with public safety rank among the most important tenets of his platform.
“I’ll do everything I can to ensure whatever development we have that we mitigate traffic and make any growth we do have sustainable,” Nikfar said.
Nikfar also said he hopes to improve pedestrian safety on the Old Rail Trail by limiting the speed of e-bikes and cyclists. He said he hopes to set a single speed on Tiburon Boulevard, set timing on lights for a consistent flow of traffic and expand recreational opportunities and family-friendly events.
Cho said she hopes to increase support for the disaster advisory committee, provide transparency for town participation with the Richardson’s Bay Regional Agency and explore state lobbying on behalf of the town.
“I want residents to know that I am fully committed to serving them,” she said. “I have the time, focus, passion and desire to do the necessary work.”