The slate of candidates for Gilroy’s upcoming City Council and
mayoral races is set. Four mayoral candidates and seven council
candidates have thrown their hats into the political ring.
The slate of candidates for Gilroy’s upcoming City Council and mayoral races is set. Four mayoral candidates and seven council candidates have thrown their hats into the political ring.
And that’s a good thing for Gilroyans. We’re thrilled that none of the races features a candidate running unopposed for a seat. Competition helps candidates define themselves, draws the interest of voters and focuses citizens’ attention on important local issues.
Hoping to replace outgoing Gilroy Mayor Tom Springer are Councilman Al Pinheiro, former Councilwoman Guadalupe Arellano and newcomers Mary Hohenbrink and Ellyn Atkins.
Seven candidates will be vying for three seats on City Council.
Incumbents Peter Arellano and Roland Velasco are seeking new four-year terms. Planning Commissioners Paul Correa and Russ Valiquette, Gavilan Community College Trustee Mark Dover and newcomers Dion Bracco and Bruce Morasco are challenging the incumbents.
Between now and election day, we urge all Gilroyans to do three things:
• Get registered – if you’re not a registered voter already. The deadline to register is Oct. 20 for the City Council election. Forms are available online at www.sccvote.org or at most public libraries, post offices and government offices. The Santa Clara County Registrar’s Office can help; call them at 299-8386.
• Get educated – learn about the issues before you vote. There’s a whole host of challenges facing Gilroy in the next several years. Downtown revitalization tops our list. What’s the vision for Gilroy’s beleaguered city center, and what’s the plan to make it a reality? How will we pay for it?
Other important issues include economic growth and retail incentives. Do we want to give away more of the general fund to entice other big box stores to town? What other types of businesses and industry do we want to attract, and what’s the best way to do that.
Residential growth goes hand-in-hand with business growth. How much and what types of housing do we want, and where do we want to put it? And how long should Gilroyans have to wait for neighborhood parks? Many residents of newer housing developments have paid for parks that haven’t been built. How can we speed development of neighborhood parks?
Do we want to continue to spend an astounding 80 percent of the city’s general fund on police and fire services? That figure doesn’t include capital expenditures for police and fire stations – and there’s been plenty of controversy about plans for a new police station and the delays in the Sunrise Fire Station.
The Gilroy Unified School District has announced that it would like to build a second high school at Day Road and Santa Teresa Boulevard.
Although the selection of a site is not a city decision, GUSD’s choice will impact the city in myriad ways and needs to be made in concert with city officials. Is the Day Road site an appropriate one? If not, what site that meets the school district’s needs is a better choice?
We urge all Gilroyans to learn about these issues and find out where each candidate stands so that they can cast an educated ballot on Nov. 4. To that end, The Dispatch will be conducting interviews with each candidate and making endorsements for each race. Look for those as election day draws near.
Think we’ve missed some important issues in this election? Send a letter to the editor and tell us about what’s on your mind in local politics, and why it’s so important. Our opinion pages, which function as a forum for community dialogue, are especially important in election season.
• Get out and vote on Tuesday, Nov. 4. The results of this election, in which more than half of the seats on City Council will be up for grabs, will have a great impact on your future. It’s your civic duty, and in your self-interest, to learn about the issues and the candidates and vote Nov. 4.
