Meet the candidate: Roland Velasco, Gilroy City Council

Gilroy Dispatch: Please briefly describe your background and experience. Why do you believe you’re qualified for this position?  
Roland Velasco: I’m a lifelong Gilroy resident, former Councilman, and community leader, I have dedicated both my life and career to the City in which we are all proud to call home. I attended our local schools and played in our parks. After graduating from Gilroy High School, I served in the United States Army as an Intelligence Analyst for four years. Upon returning home to Gilroy, I attended Gavilan College and then San Jose State University where I earned a bachelor’s degree in Political Science. Later, I received a master’s degree in Public Administration from the University of San Francisco. In addition, I’m a graduate of the Santa Clara University Markkula Center Ethics and Leadership Camp and the Santa Clara County Leadership Seminar Series. As a leader for our community, I have always made fair, independent, and educated decisions for the betterment of our City. I am running for City Council to ensure that Gilroy remains the best place to live, work, and play. To learn more about me, please visit rolandvelasco.com.
GD: What unique skills, talents, passions, insight or other qualities do you have that will help you govern the city of Gilroy?
RV: I bring to the Council dais an understanding of local government both at the City and County level. This unique insight gives me a regional perspective to the challenges that our city faces such as transportation and land use planning. In addition, as a leader on the dais, I’ll seek compromise where necessary in order to move ideas along. However, I’m also willing to stand alone and voice a minority opinion in order to uphold my beliefs. Lastly, I don’t have any personal agenda other than to serve the citizens of Gilroy. 
What are the biggest issues or challenges facing Gilroy residents right now and over the course of the next four years? What are some topics of particular interest to you, or important issues on your personal radar?
The overarching challenge is to maintain financial control over the budget. We must keep a close eye on expenses and be aware of the constant threat that Sacramento poses to the city budget. If the fiscal house is in order then other budget items become possible for funding. For example, we could increase recreational activities for our families to enjoy or provide a community service officer to help organize neighborhood watch programs. I’d be particularly interested in jumpstarting the downtown revitalization work. As part of that effort, I’d like to see funding for the Arts Center as a cornerstone project for the downtown. It’ll attract residents and visitors to our downtown who might not otherwise go there. An increased people population could be the spark that’s needed to jumpstart the revitalization work. I would also want to push for smart and assertive economic development programs to entice new businesses to Gilroy. We have to do more to expand our tax base. 
What is your position on Measure F, the half-cent general-purpose sales tax measure on the ballot?
I support Measure F. It’ll provide an opportunity for the City to bond for large one-time capital infrastructure projects that will greatly enhance the livability of our city. In addition, residents I’ve spoken with would like to see more attention placed on anti-gang efforts and recreational programs for at-risk families. 
Some city officials have said that if Measure F doesn’t pass, the city won’t be able to fund a variety of projects, from miles of street and sidewalk repairs to an upgrade of 9-1-1 emergency communications equipment. If the tax does not pass, how would you propose infrastructure repairs receive funding?
If the voters decide against Measure F then the Council will have to prioritize funding needs. At the very best, I hope we could continue with a status quo level of service. At worst, some staffing or program levels may need to get cut in order to fund the critical needs. The council will have to prioritize those critical needs and attempt to fund them. Meanwhile, other lower needs would get pushed back in order to free up funding for the higher needs. The city can only do what it can with the money that’s available. 
More than 80 percent of the city’s General Fund supports public safety, including equipment costs for police and fire, salaries, benefits and other related expenses. Do you think that number is too high, or do you think that percentage should increase as our community grows? Why or why not?
Public safety is the number one role of local government and the number one demand by the citizens. The salaries, benefits, equipment, state-mandated trainings, insurance and so on, all add up to a very big part of the overall city budget. I’m more concerned about meeting the needs of the residents and providing them with quality services than I am about a percentage number.
What will it take for Gilroy’s downtown to flourish? And what do you believe the city’s role, and your role if elected to the council, should be in making that happen?
The economic development strategic plan identified challenges to the revitalization. But, it also identified opportunities. The time is now for the city council to take bold action and partner with business owners and investors to help move the downtown forward. We can build economic development capacity through incentives and development regulations. Our downtown is the historic center of Gilroy. It’s filled with history, character, and meaning to long-term residents. It deserves more than the short shrift it’s been getting.
Are you satisfied with the amount of public participation in local government, from attending planning commission and council meetings, for example, to voting in elections, and what would you do to encourage more participation in local government by community members?
No, I’m not satisfied with the level of participation. However, I realize we all have busy lives and that most people will only show up to a council meeting or planning commission meeting when they have a vested interest in the topic. For example, neighbors might show up because of possible traffic increases on their street or business owners will show up when an ordinance might impact their business. When I previously served on the council, I realized that members of the public were waiting, sometimes hours, just to address the council. That was wrong! I proposed the public comment section of the agenda get moved to the top to allow the public the opportunity to speak at the beginning of the meeting and be heard. At the local level, broad based participation by the public is critical for communication between the public and the elected officials that serve them.   
Gilroy’s fiscal outlook is improving and revenues are growing, especially when compared to the Great Recession. Like anything, our financial picture can change with the times and leaders may need to make tough decisions to balance the budget. If Gilroy’s budget were in the red right now, how would you go about analyzing where to trim city government and balance that with providing residents with essential services?
The City is in the business of providing services to the residents, whether it’s the 911 operator that answers calls or the maintenance person that works on streets. The decision to start making cuts wouldn’t be easy. I would look first to budget items that wouldn’t impact the levels of service for the residents. How much can get cut from supplies, training, and equipment? Evaluate which positions could go unfilled if a person retires and place a hiring freeze except for critical positions. The cuts would get deeper and wider depending on how much has to get cut and over how many years. All cuts to service levels should be evaluated with the impacts to the public in mind.  
Do you think the city can and should do more to allow members of the public a chance to see behind the curtain during public employee negotiations, whether it’s publishing offers and counter-offers on the city’s website after they’re proposed or opening up the actual negotiation process to residents? Why or why not?
Yes, I would be interested in more public disclosure of the negotiating process. However, in an attempt to have more disclosure, I would want to ensure that public’s tax dollars and the council’s strategy is not placed at a disadvantage during negotiations. Further, any proposals should allow for time for the residents to comment on the terms and be presented to the public in an easy to read format. Any actual opening up of negotiations to the residents would probably require changes in state law.

The following is a Q&A sent out by the Gilroy Dispatch and answered by Roland Velasco, a candidate for the Gilroy City Council. Links to the other candidates’ answers can be found at the bottom of this article.