Letters: On local election and politics

Hidden hands shape our local election

I am outraged by the recent revelations surrounding the group responsible for sponsoring negative campaign mailers against Mayor Blankley. These attacks are funded by “Building Tomorrow, sponsored by California Friends and Family,” a group that was previously known as “Building Tomorrow, sponsored by Ten South Management Inc.” 

Ten South is the applicant behind a highly controversial housing development project at 315 Las Animas Ave. Mayor Blankley, along with Council members Bracco, Marques and Cline, opposed their attempts to bypass the city’s standard housing development process, which is designed to protect the public and ensure developers pay for necessary mitigations.

What further enrages me is that this same organization has financed promotional mailers supporting Council members Hilton, Armendariz and Tovar—the three incumbents who voted in favor of Ten South’s request to circumvent the city’s development application process. 

If this connection between campaign sponsorship and favorable votes for Ten South is true, we are staring at a serious issue of corruption. Think about it: a developer funding positive mailers for councilmembers who supported them, while attacking a mayor who stood in their way. Does this not raise red flags about outside influence and manipulation in our local election?

Why would an outside developer be so heavily involved in sponsoring campaign ads and negative mailers? What is being hidden? It’s even more concerning that “Building Tomorrow” went out of its way to amend its filings with the California Fair Political Practices Commission, removing Ten South’s name and replacing it with “California Friends and Family.” What reason could they have for concealing their identity and true motives?

This should outrage every Gilroy voter. Why hasn’t more been done to address the potential conflicts of interest here? Why are we seeing this kind of outside influence trying to sway our local elections? And more importantly, what does this mean for the future of our community’s development?

To make matters worse, mayoral challenger Greg Bozzo has expressed interest in negotiating with Ten South. Is this really the kind of company we want to negotiate with? A developer who is seemingly hiding behind different names, attempting to manipulate local elections and undermining openness in the process? 

Even more alarming is that Council members Hilton, Armendariz, and Tovar, who benefited from this developer’s support, have remained completely silent. Their refusal to address these connections is not just disappointing—it’s unacceptable. Silence in the face of these serious questions shows either a lack of responsibility or even potential complicity. The public deserves answers, yet these three incumbents have offered none.

I commend Gilroy City Council candidate Stefanie Elle for leading the charge in uncovering these troubling connections and calling for clarity on the matter. Gilroy voters need to take a stand against external forces trying to meddle in our city’s future. 

Our elections should not be for sale, and it’s time to hold those responsible to a higher standard. Let your voice be heard at the ballot box.

Robert Graeber

Gilroy

Intimidation tactics are not welcome

If you are a registered voter in Gilroy, by now you have been subjected to the “hit” pieces against Mayor Marie Blankley as she campaigns for re-election. 

Recently it was discovered that Ten South Development Group is funding and distributing these pieces. They are the development company that is fighting to use the “Builder’s Remedy” clause and build 501 apartments on Las Animas Avenue near Monterey Roadd which is currently zoned industrial. (This will not be an exclusively low-income project.)

Documents show that Ten South has set aside $200,000 to create and distribute hateful, demeaning information about Mayor Blankley and at the same time send out promotional material for the candidates who support their project (Armendariz, Hilton and Tovar). 

Every resident of Gilroy should be up in arms about these political hit pieces. It is disgusting to me that these tactics are being used to intimidate us and that an out-of-town developer is trying to dictate the outcome of Gilroy’s election.

Mayor Blankley has been a public servant of Gilroy for years on the planning commission, as a city council member and as mayor. If you prefer someone else, then use your voice to vote but don’t be fooled or misled by these lies. 

We should collectively use our voices to denounce Ten South Development for coming into our community in the hopes of making millions of dollars on a single project (using the “Builder’s Remedy” clause). 

Meanwhile, their hateful and misleading attack on Mayor Blankley will create a divisive community which could take years to recover.

Shame on anyone associated with Ten South Development and those council members who are complicit in this attack.

Cat Tucker

Former Gilroy City Council member

She has my support

As the campaign winds down in its final weeks, the politics of personal destruction have entered our local election. Outside money and influence are working to shape the results in their favor, and it doesn’t take a rocket scientist to figure out who they are and what they are wanting to achieve. 

And it is not for the greater good of Gilroy—only for their own special interest.

Before I ran in 2022, I had my own view of local government, and what I saw as their issues and shortcomings. As the saying goes, if you want to see change, you have to offer yourself up and be willing to get involved. Which I did and have been working hard to understand and help in every way I can.

It’s to this point that I want to take the time to voice my unwavering support of Mayor Marie Blankley. Under her leadership, the city has had to charter through many challenges. The first: coming out of Covid and restaffing from the top down. 

Secondly, getting the city on a path of reinvesting in a street maintenance program which has been very successful. The Sports Park will have Sharks Ice in Gilroy in the next two years, and she worked hard to get this done. She has been a tireless advocate for Gilroy with the county, getting a fourth commuter train and expanded bus service. 

Just recently, she negotiated the final terms with Glen Loma to secure a fourth fire station. She works to understand issues and to get the problems solved. 

Being the mayor, there are unrealized expectations that you can never live totally up to. What I appreciate about her is that she’s undeterred by it. She has a passion for Gilroy, being a lifelong resident, and only wants what’s best at the end.

Her loudest critics like to attack her vote to double her own pay. First, any pay increases will take effect after this election. Secondly, under existing terms, the mayor makes 50% more than a council member. When you look at the amount of time that is required to fulfill the duties of being the mayor, she has done 100% more than the council members. 

And the compensation is justified for anyone who is mayor, especially her. The impetus for increasing council member pay was state legislation earlier this year that set a minimum amount of $1,600 per month for general law cities. Had Gilroy ignored that, our council member’s compensation would be exceptionally low, bringing Gilroy the criticism that we do nothing to remove barriers for those willing to serve.

Mayor Blankley has worked hard to earn the support of Gilroy and deserves four more years to get the work done that she has started. I, for one, look forward to continuing working with her and my fellow council members to see Gilroy’s successes achieved for everyone.

Tom Cline

Gilroy City Council member