After what may have been the quickest job interview ever, Daniel J. Harney was selected at Monday’s City Council meeting to fill the seat left vacant following the resignation of former mayor Don Gage.
Harney, a father of two who heads environmental affairs for eBay, was one of several newcomers to apply for the seat that only lasts until the end of the year. He said he would like to run for election in November to keep the seat.
“I’m in shock,” Harney said after being sworn in.
Over a two-hour period, six Gilroy City Council members interviewed eight candidates two and three at a time for one of the city’s most important jobs. The new councilmember could be the swing vote in controversial projects, such as annexation for the 721-acre development voted on in December, which passed 4-3 (the project was rescinded by the developer Jan. 19).
When asked by Councilmember Dion Bracco what sets him apart from the other applicants, Harney said he had a vision for Gilroy that he believes is shared by many new people coming into the city, and as a “Gen-Xer” has a strong connection with the rising “millennial” demographic. He wants to see a vibrant economy downtown with a variety of things to do.
Councilmembers also asked applicants about what they bring to the job and whether they want to hold onto the job after the 10-month term ends. The applicants were a mix of old and new Gilroy, with several who had already served in high offices and others who were trying for the first time.
During his interview before the council, Harney said he and his wife, who is a nurse at Lucile Packard Children’s Hospital in Palo Alto, moved to Gilroy from Morgan Hill in 2011 to raise their family. They were attracted by the city’s strong focus on education, recreational opportunities and smart growth.
When he lived in Morgan Hill, Harney served on the board of directors as vice president for the homeowners association of Creekside Village.
Touting his 20 years in the corporate world and experience in health and safety and environmental law, Harney said he also brings to the table a background in managing complex capital projects and working with unions.
Harney said his primary goal would be to introduce himself to the rest of the community and allow them to get to know him in preparation for the upcoming elections. But more important, he said, he looks forward to working on filling key leadership positions at City Hall.
“This week we need to choose a new city administrator and our finance director is leaving,” he said, adding later that the director of public works will also be leaving the city. “So I’d like to assist in the selection of the leadership team for the ongoing success of the council and the community.”
Harney also pointed to the approximately $29 million in funds for capital projects that need to be allocated.
“That is a lot of money that needs to be spent and those projects need to be managed very well for the future growth of the city.”
As a member of the City Council, Harney will also serve on a number of committees. Citing his interest in economic development, he said he would like to be on that committee or those dealing with transportation issues, viewing transportation as an important component in downtown revitalization.
“One of the keys to the success of downtown is to ensure that we have an attraction for the millennials and the people commuting up to San Jose.”
After taking the oath of office, Harney quickly took his place on the dais for the remainder of the meeting. His first action on the council was to vote for Councilmember Peter Leroe-Muñoz to be mayor pro tempore.
The meeting had its heated moments, some in response to an editorial in the Dispatch raising concern that there were backroom deals to appoint Bob Dillon, a longtime councilman and member of various city commissions.
After all the applicants were interviewed, discussion returned to the dais, with Bracco thanking all the candidates for their participation, adding that he chose not to meet with any of them beforehand, to keep it all “fair.” Councilmember Terri Aulman called the crop of eight applicants, “impressive,” possessing a “good background” and having “great intentions.”
Addressing a previous comment from the public about rumors alleging a decision had already been made behind the scenes, Aulman said the idea of “backroom deals is a bunch of hooey.” Councilmember Cat Tucker said she thought all the applicants would bring their own uniqueness to the council and she intended to go in the direction of a “new face, new blood.” Leroe-Muñoz said the job was about “leadership” and he was looking for an applicant with good judgment and commitment who would be able to work with others that hold differing views.
Before the vote was taken, Mayor Perry Woodward observed that “running for office in Gilroy is an education in and of itself,” and ideally, the decision as to who should fill the vacant council seat “should be made by the voters but reality is we need to fill this seat for nine months.”
Voting went through three rotations of the council before Harney received the four votes necessary to win the seat.
Woodward and Aulman nominated Dillon, saying they thought it best to have someone with experience, someone voters had approved in the past. Dillon served eight years on the council, in 2001-2005 and 2007-2012. But newcomer Harney eventually garnered the majority and was approved unanimously.
