Glad we voted correctly
As a former member of the Gilroy City Council and a columnist for the Dispatch on local issues for many years, city council elections hold great interest for me. Particularly important is a vote for mayor, as that person is the political head of the city, and leader of council.
Four years ago, I voted for Marie Blankley for mayor, and I’m glad I did. Through her term, she and the majority of the council have negotiated difficult waters, from a pandemic to lawsuits filed against the city to challenging infrastructure needs, with alacrity and common sense.
Due to the fact that the mayor is a Certified Public Accountant, an additional set of trained eyes have been kept on the budget, all to our advantage. This worked quite well for the city to pay the Public Employees Retirement System back a deficit that happened due to miscalculations on PERS’ part to fully fund our retired employees’ payouts.
Additionally, the end of the pandemic has caused a large jump in downtown businesses being opened. The Bowl has been revamped and is open, and a number of new restaurants are open. Downtown is busy and bustling on the weekends now!
The improvements in Gourmet Alley, along with much improved parking, are underway, and the new San Jose Shark facility will open at the Gilroy Sports Park soon.
I continue to think I voted correctly in the last mayoral election, and for that reason, Phyllis and I will again cast our ballots for Marie Blankley for Mayor on Nov. 5.
Robert T. Dillon
Gilroy
Performance, not promises
I have been a Gilroy resident for over 20 years. I have also worked in local government for over 40 years, including serving as police chief or interim chief in three Bay Area cities and leading the first team of Law Enforcement Liaisons for Santa Clara County Behavioral Health.
During my years of service, I worked for some great leaders and some who were notably less than great. The two things that distinguished the great ones were (1) a passion for service to the community and (2) technical and cognitive skills that enabled them to achieve excellence.
Our Mayor, Marie Blankley, has both!
Marie’s passion for the community started early and is exemplified by her long history of volunteer and community work, as well as her years on the city council and as mayor. (Check her website for the complete list.)
Her professional skills began with her degrees from Santa Clara and Golden Gate Universities and were sharpened by 36 years as a successful CPA and small business owner.
Her specific achievements as mayor are too numerous to list here but a few stand out:
- Economic and downtown development
- The city’s new street maintenance plan
- Bringing Sharks Ice to Gilroy
- Sound fiscal planning to meet the city’s unfunded pension liabilities
- New city ordinances
- Addressing housing and homeless issues
- Service on the VTA board
- Leading the effort to bring clean water to farmworker housing
- A proven commitment to public safety.
Gilroy deserves a mayor whose record proves that she will deliver performance, not promises. I am voting to re-elect Mayor Marie Blankley. I hope you will as well.
Patrick Dwyer
Gilroy
Experience counts
Since her election to the city council in 2018, then mayor in 2020, Marie Blankley has brought a wealth of knowledge to the table. Her extensive experience as a certified public accountant and the local small business owner brings a sense of security we all can count on and know that our tax dollars are being closely watched.
She served eight years on the Gilroy’s planning commission and has devoted countless hours to the Gilroy Gang Task Force working with past mayors, city staff and nonprofit organizations to advance opportunities for at-risk youth in danger of joining gangs. She is endorsed by the Gilroy Police Officers Association, and she is dedicated to keeping our neighborhoods safe for our families.
Her accomplishments are many and her leadership for Gilroy is proven.
Joan Lewis
Gilroy
Candidate cares about Gilroy
I am writing in support of Marie Blankley to serve a second term as our Gilroy Mayor.
As a member of this community for almost 30 years, I have had the pleasure of getting to know and serve with Marie through many capacities including Gilroy Police Assistant Police Chief, Gilroy Rotary President and Gilroy Garlic Festival President.
I am grateful that a person of Marie’s caliber is willing to step up in service to our Gilroy community by serving as our mayor.
As a Gilroy native and lifelong resident, Marie has demonstrated in many ways how much she cares about Gilroy.
Her communication skills are exemplary—she’s an active listener, respectful and refreshingly direct. She’s certainly not your typical politician who tells people what she thinks they want to hear.
Marie demonstrates effective leadership skills by being collaborative and respectful. She welcomes diverse views on issues. Marie practices compromise and influences decisions to get things done.
Her past experiences as a planning commissioner (eight years), city councilmember (three years) and mayor (four years) contribute to her effectiveness as mayor.
When it comes to community service, her contributions as a volunteer for our Gilroy Garlic Festival, Gilroy Rotary Club (board of directors) and Chamber of Commerce (board of directors) are noteworthy. When we served together on the Gilroy Rotary board, I always appreciated the wisdom and many contributions Marie offered.
She has always been very supportive of public safety thus earning my support (Gilroy Assistant Police Chief, ret.) and the endorsement of the Gilroy Police Officers Association.
Her professional skills as a practicing Certified Public Accountant (CPA) make her ideally suited to oversee responsible fiscal management for our city.
My wife, Liz, and I also know Marie on a personal level. We can vouch for Marie’s integrity, authenticity and kindness as demonstrated by her actions. Bringing this point back to the beginning of this letter, Marie cares. She cares not only for her family and friends but also for this community.
Please consider joining Liz and me by voting to reelect Marie Blankley as our Gilroy Mayor.
Lanny and Liz Brown
Gilroy
