Tag: jaime rosso

After eight years serving as a trustee on the Gilroy Unified School District Board of Education, outgoing member Rhoda Bress, 62, received a heartfelt farewell and standing ovation from colleagues, friends and family as her second term came to a close Thursday evening.

After a hearty debate with opposition coming from those who have been against it from the start, the final version of the hefty 50-year, $660 million, 2,800 page Santa Clara Valley Habitat Plan was passed on a 4-3 vote during Monday's Council meeting.

Despite the fact Gilroy City Council shot down a possible joint city-school sales tax that would help safeguard the Gilroy Unified School District from a possible $8.1 million cut in state funding next year, some school board trustees haven't dismissed the possibility of pushing for a re-vote on the measure. It could yield up to $11.5 million annually depending on a 0.25, 0.50 or 1 percent local sales tax increase.

Gilroy School Board trustees, encouraged by a recent survey that found more than 50 percent of 501 likely November 2012 Gilroy voters would “strongly support a city sales tax for local schools,” are poised to put the ball in City Council's court.

Car dealers, furniture dealers and other small business owners showed up in force to boycott Gilroy's extensive sign ordinance during a special council meeting Monday night.

UPDATE: Council turns down district's counter offer, SVMS will close

The Gilroy Board of Education unanimously approved a $16,500 contract for a parcel tax feasibility study following heavy deliberation during Thursday’s meeting.