With the nomination period closed for the Nov. 3 election, the races for three seats on the Gilroy City Council feature a crowded field of candidates.
The local general election ballot will also feature four seats on the Gilroy Unified School District Board of Education. In two of those races, incumbents will not be contested, according to an unofficial list of candidates from the Santa Clara County Registrar of Voters.
The nomination and qualifying process for candidates began in mid-July and closed on Aug. 7.
For Gilroy City Council, Nov. 3 will be the first election in which voters will select their local representative by district. Previously, all candidates were elected by voters from throughout the City of Gilroy.
The council is divided into six districts, with Districts 4, 5 and 6 up for election. The mayor continues to be elected at large, but will not be on the ballot until the current four-year term comes to a close in 2028.
For District 4, former City Councilmember Fred Tovar and Diana Sanchez Bentz have qualified to run in November.
In District 5, qualified candidates are Tom Cline, Joseph Garcia and Christina Tovar. Cline is currently a city councilmember serving the city at large.
Christina Tovar said in an email that she is related by marriage to Fred Tovar.
In District 6, Elizabeth Bracco, Rebeca Armendariz and Brad Starks have qualified for the Nov. 3 ballot, according to the City of Gilroy’s website.
Bracco is the daughter of Councilmember Dion Bracco, who is retiring from local politics after 21 years on the city council. During that time, he served with six mayors, five city managers and five police chiefs.
In an interview with the Dispatch, Dion Bracco, 68, said, “I think it’s my turn to step aside. I think it’s time for a younger generation to step up and take over.”
Bracco’s current term expires in December. Among his proudest efforts during his council service, he said, are the construction of the new library and police station; the city’s purchase of Gilroy Gardens; and working with former Police Chief Denise Turner to create the South County Youth Task Force.
He added that for the near future, he hopes the city will come around on a proposal to build a new community center—preferably by remodeling and expanding Wheeler Auditorium on Sixth Street to accommodate large groups of seniors and youth and to host activities.
A draft Gilroy Civic Center Master Plan calls for demolishing Wheeler Auditorium and building new, separate recreation and community facilities in its place.
Asked if he has any advice for future councilmembers, Bracco said, “Don’t give up. Don’t take no for an answer. There is always a way to get things done if you have the passion. There’s a lot of naysayers, and we’ve got to not listen to them.”
Councilmember Carol Marques, whose current term expires in December, also is not running for reelection. Marques did not return a phone call requesting comment.
School board candidates
GUSD Trustee Areas 1, 3, 4 and 7 will be on the Nov. 3 ballot. There are a total of seven seats on the local board of education.
In TA 1, only the incumbent Gabriela Kim has qualified for the election, according to the registrar’s unofficial list.
In TA 3, incumbent Michelle Nelson and Dan Harney have declared their candidacy for November.
In TA 4, pastor Trevor Van Laar has declared candidacy for the board seat. Incumbent Linda Piceno does not appear on the registrar’s list of candidates.
And in TA 7, only the incumbent, Tuyen M. Fiack, has submitted paperwork to run for office.
Other races
Also on the Nov. 3 ballot will be the District 1 seat on the Valley Water Board of Directors. District 1 includes all of South County. Incumbent John L. Varela and former Gilroy City Administrator Jimmy Forbis have qualified for the ballot, according to election officials.
On Aug. 13, the California Secretary of State will conduct a randomized alphabet drawing to determine the order of candidates’ names on the ballot.
The Nov. 3 ballot will also include a Transient Occupancy Tax Rate Measure for the City of Gilroy. If approved by a majority of voters, the measure would raise the city’s TOT, or hotel tax, from 9% to a maximum of 13 percent. The city council would set the exact new rate if approved by voters.
The text of the measure reads “To maintain critical City services such as street/pothole repair, park and recreation programs, emergency preparedness for storms, flooding and wildfires, and police and fire response shall the City of Gilroy measure raising the Transient Occupancy Tax (hotel tax) rate from 9% to a maximum of 13%, set by Council resolution, providing $700,000 annually paid only by hotel/lodging guests, with annual independent audits, that cannot be taken by Sacramento, until ended by voters, be adopted?”
Know your districts
Voters who do not know what City Council District or GUSD Trustee Area they live in can use the county registrar’s “Look Up Your Districts” site at rovservices.sccgov.org/. Voters can enter their address, and the site will identify all city council, school district and special district areas in which they may vote.
