To my council colleagues, city staff and the public, I am very excited to be a part of the many changes coming to Gilroy this year. Legislating policy in house often doesn’t require budget allocations, and many of the best practices are already open sourced.
We have many policies and practices that will continue to be updated to 2025 standards. The entire community was a part of the Gilroy General Plan 2040 process in late 2020. It was approved by the General Plan Advisory Committee, Planning Commission, and City Council, along with a full Environmental Impact Report (EIR).Â
We planned for growth and have detailed plans to address everything inside the General Plan 2040. The General Plan 2040 represents the City of Gilroy’s view of its future, expresses the community’s vision, local control and guiding principles for development. The Zoning Code Ordinance is the script of how those visions will unfold.
Our 2026-27 Legislative Work Plan and City Council goals have been formed over several meetings and will be formalized in June when we adopt the two-year budget.
I am in full support of laying the groundwork for a Civic Center Master Plan and building a civic center park and multi-generational community center that is for all ages. The focus on a free, safe place for our youth to have after school and on the weekends is a top priority for me.
The City of Gilroy and Gilroy Unified School District have many facilities that can be used by the community for free, and that’s why I have convened a Joint Use Agreement Working Group. We have the opportunity to develop programming and provide spaces for the public with no barriers now.
Year-to-date my office has worked with our state and federal legislators to secure $5.2 million for project funding that directly benefits our residents from the west side, east side and a senior housing project on the south side. We attended many more regional and local meetings representing an elected office from Gilroy, and in my absence, my student interns would take my place in these meetings. I attended every opportunity I got in order to gain professional development and training through both webinars, and in-person training.
The Arts are alive in Gilroy. Today we have a monthly Arts Roundtable, Third Friday Art Walk, Chalk Fest, La Ofrenda Festival, and doors continue to open. The City of Gilroy celebrates the role that the arts and creativity play in helping us navigate a pandemic, amplify the need for racial equity and highlight the power of the arts to change our lives for the better.
The Gilroy Arts & Culture Commission and SV Creates work in partnership to support the arts and creativity in Gilroy as an essential part of our thriving community.
The annual Downtown Gilroy La Ofrenda Festival brings together a cross section of sponsorships and partnerships from government, education, health, private sector, arts, transportation, culture, non-profits, labor workforce and more.
I would like to personally invite you to join us in Downtown Gilroy on Nov. 1, and travel to the festival by bike, bus, walk or drive. My dreams for a bike/ped/walk/transit-oriented festival have come true with the creation of a Cycle, Health, and Transit Plaza. Thank you to all the volunteers, sponsors and organizations that made it come true.
On behalf of my office, my student interns and my family, I am excited for the challenges that 2025 has to offer. There are still many things to be addressed, and I am taking them head on.
Through the power of public participation, I am confident that 2025 can be one of the best years that Gilroy has ever had.
Zach Hilton
Gilroy City Councilmember
