Gilroy underrepresented in the county
Despite having the most land available for ongoing development in Santa Clara County, Gilroy will not have a place at the table when it comes to making key decisions on future growth.
Council OKs ‘small animals’ ordinance
After zero discussion on the dais and no public comment Monday night, the Gilroy City Council voted 5-2 to introduce an ordinance that would limit the number of rabbits, chickens and other "small animals" city residents may own.
Gilroy Car Insurance is Sky High
Car insurance costs more in Gilroy than in San Francisco, San Jose and Los Angeles, according to a recent study.In fact, the southernmost Santa Clara County city has the 17th highest insurance costs in the state.The average yearly premium in Gilroy is $1,882, or 13 percent above the $1,661 average price in California. For comparison, San Joseans pay $1,393; Los Angelenos pay $1,624 and San Franciscans pay $1,783.The study was done by ValuePenguin.com, a site that helps people manage personal finances. Researchers did the study using a 2011 Toyota Camry driven by a 30-year-old to determine the average in 142 California cities for $50,000 to $150,000 of coverage.Craig Casazza, who did the study in the New York-based company, said he was interested in insurance pricing because it’s a mandatory expense for car owners and can be a burden on people’s budgets.Why is Gilroy so expensive?Casazza said he could only speculate. He surveyed 20 companies for each city to determine the prices, but the companies keep their pricing methodology secret.“Generally prices are more expensive where there are more accidents,” he said. Car theft can also play a role.Big cities usually have higher prices, but Gilroy is higher than neighboring metropolises.However, it’s cheaper than Santa Clara at $1,896, Sunnyvale at $1,974, Oakland at $1,976 and Cupertino at $1,970.California’s most expensive insurance rates are in Paramount, near Compton, at $2,373 a year. The cheapest is Fullerton at $1,266.To read the study, go to www.valuepenguin.com.
Will the real Gilroy population please stand up?
What's the population of Gilroy? It's one question that
Gavilan School Board holds its ground; re-votes 6-1 to approve Kinsella’s $42K raise
Impassioned monologues from a handful of public speakers failed to persuade the Gavilan College School Board to reverse an “appalling” $42,000 raise, which the board approved seven months ago for college President Steve Kinsella.
Photo of the Day: Uvas Reservoir Crests for the First Time in Years
Uvas Reservoir, which had dwindled during the drought, reached an inch from its top Tuesday, before officials began letting water down the spillway. It doesn't mean the end of the drought, water officials say, but it's a big step toward helping recharging the underground aquifer that brings Gilroy much of its water.
