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Neil Malhotra wants a chance
to serve Saratoga

George Joseph in New York

Neil Malhotra is just 21. He graduated from Yale a few months ago.

Yet he has answered the call of public life. He is running for the Saratoga City Council in California. He says he was active in student council and the local community at Yale. "I am back and ready to serve my beautiful city of Saratoga."

Saratoga is a city of 32,000 people and is part of the Silicon Valley. The election is non-partisan, but Neil is a registered Republican.

The city council has five members and elections are being held for three seats this year. Six candidates are in the fray. Each city councillor serves as mayor for a year.

Of the 18,000 voters, a candidate needs around 4000 to win the seat, Vinod Malhotra, Neil's his campaign manager and father, said. There are only 400 Indians in the city.

Neil, however, feels his chances of winning are very bright. He campaigns on several new themes. He believes that Saratogans are burdened with excessive rules and regulations, especially when it comes to obtaining building permits.

He points out that he has lived in the city last 18 years and has loved every moment of it. His goal is to get people to view the council as an asset and not a liability.

If elected, he will immediately appoint a task force to create a streamlined permit process that will balance sensible growth and community aesthetics, Neil promises.

His other campaign plank is accountability. He promises monthly town hall meetings.

Malhotra graduated with BA in economics, summa cum laude, and now works as a financial analyst for Goldman Sachs & Co.

"As a corporate finance analyst, I regularly generate ideas for businesses and clients. These skills will greatly aid me as a councillor. I will listen, learn, come up with creative ideas and serve the people of this great city. I believe my education, experience, enthusiasm and creativity will make me a great public servant," he says

He also notes that his candidacy will bring diversity to the council. "Diversity is not color or race; it is an approach to leadership and problem solving. Diversity is the opposite of a monolithic view and the formation of a slate. It is the spirit of democracy. I am young, passionate, fiscally conservative, creative and practical - worthy of your vote."

He came to Saratoga with his immigrant parents, Vinod and Neema. "They have taught me the values of hard work, education, and public service," says Neil.

Vinod is an engineer and Neema a doctor. "Neil always had a passion for public life. At a very young age he would go to the soup kitchen for volunteering," Vinod says.

Neil says about himself: "Enthusiastic young male seeking your support. Voters are eligible to win the following prizes: civic pride, fiscal discipline, a responsive local government and a brand new city councilman."

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