A longtime City Council member in the 1980s and ’90s officially
decided Wednesday that he will seek that post in November following
a 15-year hiatus.
A longtime City Council member in the 1980s and ’90s officially decided Wednesday that he will seek that post in November following a 15-year hiatus.
Paul Kloecker, 75, declared his candidacy at Gilroy City Hall on Wednesday.
Kloecker, a retired Navy engineer, served on the council from 1983 to 1995.
He wants to improve relations on the council, which have been known to be tense, and he has expressed concerns with the city’s budget challenges.
Kloecker said he did not have time to discuss his candidacy Wednesday morning, as he was about to head off to his part-time job at Gilroy Gardens.
However, Santa Clara Supervisor Don Gage, who served as mayor while Kloecker was on the council, said Kloecker’s breadth of experience would add value to the council.
“Paul’s a great guy,” Gage said. “He’s a smart man, who has an engineering background. He did his homework legitimately and would do whatever it took to understand the issues.”
Many people have expressed concern about disunity on the council, and Gage said the council that he and Kloecker served on worked more effectively as a team than the current one.
“I think (Kloecker) sees the same thing that everyone else sees,” Gage said. “Without the teamwork, I think there are a lot of people who are not happy about the way decisions are being made on that city council. It’s difficult to get people who are qualified who want to run because they don’t want to put up with all the stuff.”
Kloecker is the sixth person who has announced his intentions to run. Three council seats are up for grabs in November. Councilman Dion Bracco will run to retain his seat. Councilman Peter Arellano is undecided and Councilman Craig Gartman has announced that he is not running.
Former councilman Russ Valiquette and retired city of Santa Clara electrical engineer Pasquale Greco also have pulled official papers indicating their candidacy. In addition, former city planning commissioner Art Barron and San Benito County deputy district attorney Peter Leroe-Muñoz have filed forms with the state Fair Political Practices Commission indicating their intentions to run.
Former planning commissioner Tim Day and anti-medical marijuana activist Ron Kirkish both have said they are also considering a council bid. Kirkish, an ardent supporter of both Bracco and Kloecker, said he was less likely to run now that Kloecker is seeking a council seat.
“I support Paul and Dion with all of my heart,” he said. “That doesn’t mean I will not run, but my chances of running are minimal.”
