Mayor Don Gage has opened up a can of worms with his invitation to the City Council and, of course, the community to discuss a city bond measure that would fund “wish list” items. We’re glad he did.
That “can of worms” is bait, after all, for a discussion about the quality of life in Gilroy and what can be done to improve it.
There are the eyesore unoccupied unreinforced masonry buildings downtown. There’s a planned arts center without funding for construction and without a sustainable business plan in place if and when it does get built. Gage has also brought up the unfinished athletic facilities at Christopher High School and building a water feature at city-owned Gilroy Gardens. There’s something for everyone to like – or hate – on the trial-balloon project list. What we like about this most is that it’s starting the discussion.
What, if anything, would Gilroyans be willing to pay for with additional property taxes ? And how would they want the city to spend that $35 million?
Even if the whole notion is summarily rejected, there’s value in the discussion. Hopefully, it will move forward at least to the point of community engagement. Let’s find out what Gilroy really wants via a survey. Let’s make an interactive website a part of the discussion like neighboring Morgan Hill is doing with their General Plan update process. Let’s spend some of that $23 million in city reserves sitting in the bank to talk with and engage the residents.
Making life in Gilroy better is, after all, what government is all about. Maybe residents want improved park maintenance and additional facilities. Maybe they want a family recreation center operated by the YMCA like the Centennial Rec Center in Morgan Hill.
Right now, there isn’t any clarity about what Gilroy wants. There are supporting factions for a variety of projects, of course. People have their pet projects. But an independent survey, coupled with sincere community outreach, is really what’s needed.
The Council should get on board with Gage’s idea for now and find out what Gilroyans really want.
