GILROY
– Boycotts and talk of campaign fraud took a back seat to an
even-tempered discussion on a range of hot campaign topics
Wednesday night when Gilroy First! hosted its first-ever candidates
forum.
GILROY – Boycotts and talk of campaign fraud took a back seat to an even-tempered discussion on a range of hot campaign topics Wednesday night when Gilroy First! hosted its first-ever candidates forum.
Eight of 11 City Council and mayoral candidates participated in the two-hour televised and Web cast session which at times seemed to align opponents on issues more than reveal separation. However, the city’s current practice of luring big businesses into Gilroy by waiving costly development fees could be the topic that polarizes the 2003 election.
“I found it to be most interesting especially in the mayoral race. Ellyn (Atkins) proved to be a very well-spoken candidate. Mary (Hohenbrink) did well, too. And Lupe (Arellano) proved she has a lot of experience and spoke eloquently,” Councilman Bob Dillon said. “I don’t think there was a lot of separation on the issues, but Al (Pinheiro) is the best candidate in my mind. I believe he’s a consensus builder. I’ve always found him to be a collegial personality while serving with him on the current city dais.”
Dillon is the campaign manager for Russ Valiquette, a City Council candidate who boycotted the event after it was discovered Gilroy First! had union ties. The fledgeling group bills itself as a nonpartisan, get-out-the-vote, issues committee that does not endorse candidates. However, state records reveal the group is registered to receive contributions and support or oppose candidates and ballot initiatives. The group also admits it has received consultation, meeting space and a Web site from a network of unions which has endorsed a slate of Gilroy candidates, three of whom are Gilroy First! members.
As for the “economic incentives” issue, candidates fell into two camps.
One is friendly to the idea of letting developers and large retailers off the hook when it comes to paying development fees since their presence in town will generate sales tax revenue the likes of which Gilroy has never seen. The other wants businesses to guarantee they’ll generate significant tax revenue, even if that demand risks losing the company to a competing city.
“I don’t want just a promise. I want their name on the dotted line,” incumbent Councilman Peter Arellano said, pounding fist to table in one of the only emotional bursts made Wednesday night. “Who would put their children in debt for the future? That is what the city has done. I don’t like giving tax dollars to gamble on the future of Gilroy.”
Incumbent Councilman Roland Velasco defended the practice.
“Economic incentives may have been controversial to some, but the facts show they have been successful,” Velasco said, reciting job growth numbers and arguing that the sales tax revenue is funding valuable city programs. “I will continue to support economic incentives when they make financial sense to the city.”
Mayoral candidates found themselves in a similar split on the issue.
Incumbent Councilman Al Pinheiro, who was joined by a throng of supporters wearing red, white and blue T-shirts that donned his name, echoed Velasco’s bent. Yet he and mayoral hopeful Ellyn Atkins both stressed that high-wage, “clean” industrial companies need to be lured here, too.
“We’ve done an exceptional job getting retail businesses to Gilroy. Now we need businesses with high-paying jobs,” Pinheiro said.
Lupe Arellano and Mary Hohenbrink said they could support using economic incentives in some cases, but claimed the city should do more analysis on the impacts new businesses have on Gilroy.
Arellano, a former City Councilwoman, and Hohenbrink, a political novice, want to see economic and environmental impact studies done before offering financial breaks to developers and retailers.
“It is a corporate welfare, but every city is using (economic incentive packages), and it is a tool we absolutely need to stay user friendly,” Arellano said.
The Gilroy First! forum, which drew roughly 75 audience members and an unknown amount who watched at home and online, kicked off campaign season just two days after a citizen and two City Council candidates sought to ban the union-friendly group from using City Hall and city TV. Instead Council agreed to let groups, partisan or otherwise, use city grounds and airwaves until Election Day. After Nov. 4, groups will have to use other places, such as the public access TV studio, to air such forums.
All candidates were in attendance but for three City Council hopefuls – Valiquette and Dion Bracco, who boycotted, and Mark Dover whose reason for being absent could not be confirmed before deadline.
