Councilman Craig Gartman will not seek a third term on the City
Council this November, he said Monday.
Gartman, 52, has served on the council for nine years and on the
planning commission for four years. He said he has spent nearly
half of his adult life in public service, and he is looking forward
to taking a break. He will continue to work at his wife’s business,
Incentive Awards, and does not plan to seek any other political
office at this point.
Councilman Craig Gartman will not seek a third term on the City Council this November, he said Monday.
Gartman, 52, has served on the council for nine years and on the planning commission for four years. He said he has spent nearly half of his adult life in public service, and he is looking forward to taking a break. He will continue to work at his wife’s business, Incentive Awards, and does not plan to seek any other political office at this point.
“It’s time to fade back into the general public,” Gartman said Monday. “I’m looking forward to it.”
The terms for Councilmen Dion Bracco and Peter Arellano are also up in November. Bracco has declared himself a candidate.
Gartman, known as one of the council’s most fiscally conservative members, first served on the planning commission in 1997. He ran unsuccessfully for council in 1999 before being elected in 2001 and then serving a second term in 2005. He also made an unsuccessful bid for mayor against Al Pinheiro in 2007.
Looking back, Gartman said he was particularly proud of an agreement the council reached to get Los Arroyos, Sunrise and Carriage Hills parks built in a timely fashion in western Gilroy at a time when the city often let park building lag far behind development.
He also said he was proud of making a third fire station in town into a campaign issue in 1999.
Gartman also ran into controversy at times, being accused in 2009 of mismanaging funds for the annual Memorial Day parade by the parade committee. Gartman said the accusations were politically motivated and that they were manifested by the mayor, although Pinheiro has denied those claims.
Gartman said he decided against seeking office again shortly after being elected during his second term. However, he did not announce his intentions at first to avoid creating a “lame duck” syndrome. Now, he hopes that by announcing his intentions to call it quits, he may spur newcomers to seek office.
“It’s time for new blood,” he said. “It’s time for fresh views.”
Although times have become increasingly difficult for the city these days because of current economic challenges, Gartman said he has enjoyed his time on the council as a whole.
“I would do it again because I was raised with philosophy of giving back to community,” he said.
