The votes are in, and two incumbents on the Board of Directors for the South Santa Clara County Valley Memorial Special District have been reelected following the Nov. 5 election.
Philip Garcia, former board vice president, and Gabe Perez, a former director, will be assuming the positions of directors on the five-person board, according to the unofficial semi-final results posted on the Santa Clara County Registrar of Voters website.
The Memorial Special District’s Board Directors were decided based on 4,622 votes. Perez took more than 31 percent of the votes, collecting 1,441. Garcia finished with more than 26 percent of the votes, collecting 1,205. Candidate Robert Armendariz finished third with 1,018 and Jesse Sanchez came in fourth with 958.
The election – which also included three Sunnyvale City Council seats, Campbell and Loma Prieta school district parcel taxes, and a Sunnyvale gun safety measure – brought in 63,149 voters or about 27 percent of the county’s voters.
Perez has been a part of the VFW 6309, the Veterans of Foreign Wars Post in Gilroy for 30 years and has served as commander of the post. He estimates that at least 600 veterans live in the district, but only about 250 veterans participate in district activities.
“We have a lot to offer for the veterans but apparently they are not aware, so we are going to try to reach them as best as we can,” he said.
In the past, Perez organized and dedicated a plaque to Vietnam and Korean war veterans at the Veterans Memorial Building, a task which involved writing to government officials to get a list with the names of the veterans the plaque should honor.
In the next term, Perez would like to redo the building’s kitchen, lighting, and – if time and money allow – the bathroom.
Garcia served three years in the military, including a year in Vietnam. In a brief interview, Garcia said he had no special issues of concern for the upcoming year.
About the South Santa Clara County Valley Memorial District
The SSCCVMD is a roughly 250-member club of ex-soldiers who gather for regular meetings and social events. Board members oversee the district’s Veterans Memorial Building at 74 W. Sixth Street in Gilroy.
The veteran’s district in Gilroy hosts a range of gatherings throughout the year including services on Memorial Day and a community breakfast on Veteran’s Day. The Gilroy post also has an old-timey bar where ex-soldiers enjoy hanging out together. Other community clubs and groups rent the building regularly.
Board members must be Gilroy, Morgan Hill or San Martin residents and are not paid for their services.
The SSCVMD district receives about $100,000 annually from county property taxes to be used for various events and outreaches to local veterans, their families and the community at large.
-Gabe Perez: 1,441 votes, 31.18 percent of the total vote
-Philip Garcia 1,205 votes, 26.07 percent of the total vote
-Robert Armendariz 1,018 votes, 22.03 percent of the total vote
-Jesse Sanchez 958 votes, 20.73 percent of the total vote
