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The Santa Clara Valley Water District board of directors has
been knee-deep in scandals for some time, but its new Director Don
Gage, a Gilroy resident and longtime politician, says he’s the man
who will bring back credibility.
Water District: Gage wins in landslide

The Santa Clara Valley Water District board of directors has been knee-deep in scandals for some time, but its new Director Don Gage, a Gilroy resident and longtime politician, says he’s the man who will bring back credibility.

“We need representation from South County. That board has got a lot of transparency problems and ethical problems” that Gage said he looks forward to cleaning up.

Gage crushed his opponents in the election Tuesday, garnering almost more than twice as many votes than his closest competitor Gilroy winery owner Tom Kruse. Gage finished with 22,558 votes or 59 percent, Kruse, 71, had 11,676 votes and San Jose dentist Roberto Sepulveda, 59, carried 3,996 votes.

Also Tuesday, voters decided the elected seven-member board of directors at the Santa Clara Valley Water District should have term limits; something the board has never had until now.

The new three four-year term limit will be enforced beginning with this election class once they are sworn-in Dec. 3: Gage; West San Jose and Campbell’s Director Linda Lezotte; and Palo Alto and Los Gatos’ Director Brian Schmidt.

Board members can return to the board after a one-term absence.

Glines, Ruiz join Child on Gav board

One incumbent and two newcomers were elected to Gavilan College Community Joint College District seats when the final results were posted late on election night. Incumbent Kent Child and newcomer Tony Ruiz took the two seats in San Benito County, while newcomer Walt Glines took the seat in Gilroy.

Five candidates vied for three board of trustee seats in two of the Gavilan Joint Community College Districts. Though the district is divided into three areas, voters who reside in all three districts can vote for candidates in both races.

Glines, a newspaper circulation manager for Main Street Media Group, which owns The Gilroy Dispatch, Morgan Hill Times and the Weekend Pinnacle in Hollister, said he ran to be more involved with the community college.

Health care tax for uninsured fails

Measure A, which would have reduced health care costs for uninsured children, failed to pull in a two-thirds majority vote Tuesday. The measure would have enacted a $29 annual parcel tax for county homeowners for up to 10 years, with all proceeds going to “protect and maintain children’s health and prevent serious illnesses through regular medical checkups, immunizations and early detection.

There were 189,331 votes for the county Children’s Health Protection Act or 58.5 percent. The measure needed 66 percent voter approval to pass.

Car registration fee increases by $10

Get ready to pay an extra $10 the next time your car registration is due. To fund the countywide Congestion and Road Repairs measure, 52.2 percent of voters approved Measure B – a $10 tax proposed by the Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority.

It is expected to raise as much as $14 million to fund repair work.

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