Sig Sanchez—former mayor of Gilroy and loyal advocate for South County throughout his 55-year public service career—died peacefully Jan. 30, according to family members.
Proponents of Valley Water’s Measure S on the Nov. 3 ballot say the parcel tax is crucial to reinforcing water supplies, flood protection and other priorities for nearly 2 million Santa Clara County residents; but its detractors say the measure lacks details and transparency, and caution that the proposed tax has no sunset date.
South County is weathering an unprecedented labor shortage alongside hundreds of other agricultural communities across California. The pinch is forcing some growers to raise their prices as competition for workers increases, and some have even decided to sell their operation to larger companies.