Meet the candidates for Mayor of Gilroy

In the Nov. 5 election for Mayor of Gilroy, incumbent Marie Blankley is running for her second term while local business owner Greg Bozzo is challenging her in Bozzo’s first run at a political office. 

In Gilroy, the mayor is elected to a four-year term. 

In an effort to help the voters get to know each candidate better, the Dispatch sent both of them the same list of personal and policy-related questions and asked them to send back their written responses. Their answers are published here, edited for brevity and clarity. 

Marie Blankley

Dispatch: Any biographical information you want to share with the voters? 

Blankley: Marie is a Gilroy native, Certified Public Accountant, and local small business woman. Her family farmed prunes in Gilroy from the 1920s-1980s. Marie’s father, Carmen Patane, was born in Gilroy in 1928 to parents who immigrated from Sicily, and her mother, Mary Patane, immigrated from Italy at the age of 20. Marie is the first of the first generation in her family to go to college. She has an accounting degree from Santa Clara University, and a Masters degree from Golden Gate University. 

She has been a CPA for over 36 years, a planning commissioner from 1992-1999, a City Council member from 2018-2020, and Mayor since 2020. She and her husband, Steve, of 30 years have two Gilroy-grown children. 

“As one of only two women mayors of Gilroy in 154 years, my greatest passion is empowering women to believe in themselves. I love to hike, sing, play pingpong and be with my dogs.” – Mayor Marie Blankley

Why are you running for reelection as Mayor of Gilroy?

I was elected during the pandemic-induced fiscal crisis that consumed half of my four-year term. With only two years post-pandemic, I’m in the middle of getting things done for Gilroy: 1) thriving economic development with a $32 million facility expansion invested last year by one of our food manufacturers, $40-plus million to be invested by Sharks Ice in our Sports Park, a 212-room five-story Hyatt Hotel on its way at Chestnut and Tenth Street (where Chick Fil A is) and a 200,000 square foot data center coming from Amazon Web Services near the Outlets; 2) overdue street maintenance is now ongoing; Gilroy now has influence with VTA and Caltrain who finally delivered a fourth commuter train, the 101/25 interchange begins construction shortly; 3) securing our fourth fire station. 

What are your thoughts on how to accommodate growth while maintaining infrastructure and enhancing economic development in Gilroy over the next two-plus years?

City services cannot keep up with our growing population if balance is ignored between housing growth, job growth and transportation infrastructure. As shown above, our city staff has been working hard to foster commercial developments in Gilroy that bring jobs, revenue, activity and visitors to Gilroy, but it’s not enough to be proportionate with the level of housing growth required by the state. 

With our county’s area median income so much higher than the income level of many Gilroyans, “affordable housing” goes more to people moving to Gilroy who add not only to demands on city services but also to traffic congestion as they’re forced to drive to job centers when public transportation infrastructure is not yet sufficient. 

What are some pressing issues you would like to work on if reelected?

Seeing Gilroy’s fourth fire station through to the finish line, making our neighborhoods safer and improving response times, continuing our program for better streets (so many more streets to get to), bringing more jobs to Gilroy, building a community center and improving aged facilities in our civic center (the three blocks between Church Street and Dowdy Street, and between Sixth and Seventh streets) and adding recreation programs, and continuing to ensure Gilroy’s financial sustainability long-term. 

Why should Gilroy reelect you as mayor?

As a lifelong Gilroy resident, a CPA, small business owner and elected public servant for the last six years, I bring experienced leadership and fiscal oversight to city government. My track record is visible, and my accomplishments are many. I have been working hard to get things done for Gilroy, to honor our city charter and to make sure we are sustainable for the benefit of all of our families, youth and seniors. 

In the end, taking care of our city and the employees who provide our services is how we safeguard the quality of life we all treasure in Gilroy, and how we take care of each other.

Greg Bozzo

Dispatch: Any biographical information you want to share with the voters? 

Bozzo: I have lived in downtown Gilroy much of my life. I attended Glenview Elementary, South Valley and Gilroy High School. I graduated from Cal Poly SLO. My wife, Lora, and I are parents to two adult daughters and we are currently foster parents to a 4-year-old boy. We operate our landscape construction firm, together, and have employed between 10-15 people for many years. My community service includes Garlic Festival Association and Brownell parent club President, council appointed Housing Neighborhood Revitalization Committee and more. I enjoy white water rafting, mountain biking and dirt bikes. I am interested in vintage American tractors and cars. 

Why are you running for election to the office of Mayor of Gilroy?

I want Gilroy to reach its full potential. Our community’s greatest asset is the people. The collective experiences of all of us are more than sufficient to solve our problems. I am not running for mayor because there is a lack of experience in Gilroy, I am running because there is a lack of leadership. The path to putting Gilroy on the right path runs right through city hall. The new council must review and renew the goals of Gilroy. City management must be able to pursue these aggressive goals, or the council must find managers who are. 

What are your thoughts on how to accommodate growth while maintaining infrastructure and enhancing economic development in Gilroy over the next two-plus years? 

The first way to accommodate growth is to have a sound economic development plan. Currently we do not have a plan. This plan must support ways to raise revenue from economic activity, not from taxes. One tool to help achieve sound economic development is public/private partnerships. The Gilroy Premium Outlets and Gilroy Gardens are in desperate need of creative public/private partnerships. 

Second, community development agreements that are common with housing developers are a great way to find funds to support infrastructure.

Lastly, an aggressive grants writing program is a common way to find funds for infrastructure. 

What are some pressing issues you would like to work on if elected?

I would like to: improve the reputation of our city hall so that citizens, businesses and employees  look forward to visiting, doing business and working there; restore funding for public safety, parks and recreation, streets and landscapes through-out our town; make progress on the ongoing challenges with homelessness; help Gilroy Gardens to reach its full potential and add more value to our city; find more activities for youth; finally have a downtown corridor that meets the desires of our citizens and business owners; bring transparency to city hall; lead a more unified council. 

Why should Gilroy elect you as mayor?

I bring experience from self-employment in construction and development as well as 30 years of community leadership roles. Finding success in construction can only be done by relying on the talents and experiences of others. I will bring a collaborative approach that is absent from current elected leadership and city hall management. I have many years of leadership roles at Gilroy Garlic Festival Association, ensuring us the best chance to bring one back. My vision is that anyone that lives in Gilroy, who wants to be heard, seen or to have a sense of belonging, will.