Collectively, the seven candidates running for the three open
seats on the Gilroy City Council this year have spent 235 years in
Gilroy. Many were born and raised here, all have spent more than 20
years each learning about, contributing to and living in our
town.
Collectively, the seven candidates running for the three open seats on the Gilroy City Council this year have spent 235 years in Gilroy. Many were born and raised here, all have spent more than 20 years each learning about, contributing to and living in our town.
That’s striking, and it has resulted in a blend of two qualities – caring and competence – that give Gilroyans a fine group from which to choose on Election Day.
Divergent views – on issues from allowing Wal-Mart to relocate and expand to whether a new $20 million police station is too expensive – abound. Our choices for Gilroy City Council appear below. Agree or disagree, we urge citizens to cast an informed vote on Tuesday, Nov. 4. We salute all the candidates. They have walked precincts, organized a campaign, participated in numerous forums and, most importantly, made a decision to offer their time in public service to the community.
Peter Arellano vaulted onto the City Council as a surprise victor four years ago. He has often been on the short end of Council votes since. The 53-year-old physician at Gilroy’s Kaiser clinic says that his is a voice that needs to be heard even if it is often in the minority. He has been a thoughtful member of the Council who votes independently on issues.
He supported Gardner Health Network’s proposal to locate a clinic in a key area downtown. He made a motion, which lost, to require Wal-Mart to submit an economic impact report to the city before constructing a proposed superstore. He is a member of Gilroy First! the “voter-education” group with strong union ties. Mostly, we believe the Council needs an infusion of new energy and though his presence on the Council is not divisive, he has taken numerous positions that we simply do not share.
Dion Bracco is a very tempting candidate indeed. The 45-year-old owner of a local towing company has waded into the race because he has a sense that a self-made businessman is sorely needed on the City Council. He has a point.
This Council does need someone to stir the pot and ask tough questions about expenses on everything from the proposed $20 million police station to the purchase of a $262,000 STAR rescue vehicle for the third fire station.
Bracco is a lifelong Gilroyan and exudes a strength in personality that helps him communicate with people in straightforward fashion. That strength could also serve the citizens well because Bracco is an unlikely “rubber stamp” for the city administration. That, too, is something this Council sorely needs. His fiscal conservative bent is a trait also worthy of embrace. And his business sense could be very valuable to a Council that is facing some tough economic decisions. He’s a plain talker who takes on issues like the Wal-Mart Supercenter in direct fashion. “Wal-Mart’s become a whipping boy in this race,” is a good example of how Bracco boils it down. In a tough call, however, he falls just shy of our endorsement. However, we strongly encourage him to consider the Chamber board or a city commission appointment and to make another run at it.
Mark Dover has conviction and communication skills. That’s a powerful combination that we strongly endorse for City Council. He’s perhaps the most independent thinker in this group and a maverick who will lend virility to Council discussions without acrimony. Dover makes his points clearly and will force those serving with him to examine their position and consider his. It’s a good thing. He worked for the city of Gilroy as a recreation supervisor for 18 years before leaving to become a high school teacher and coach. He believes the Council should conduct an audit to see if the city is top heavy with administrators. Maybe all our sales tax dollars are hiding under administrative rocks when they should be sprouting youth sports parks and downtown improvements? He wants the answer and so should all Gilroyans. Dover, 37, currently serves on the Gavilan College Board and, by all accounts, serves well. He’s running a bare-bones campaign with little money and, thus, no outside influence. That’s how he wants it and we admire that. As for the “Gavilan controversy,” we do not think there are enough inherent conflicts between the two boards to warrant his stepping aside. Dover’s a lifelong Gilroyan who’s genuinely concerned about quality of life issues. He puts his finger on what many Gilroyans feel – that the political pendulum has swung too far toward luring “big box” retail stores and filling ever-hungry city coffers. Dover thinks it needs to be redirected to downtown improvement, neighborhood park construction and amenities for the citizens. He advocates a shift in priorities for Gilroy with which we wholeheartedly agree. By serving on two boards, Dover may not “have a life” but he’s willing to fight for a better quality of life for Gilroyans, and that decidedly earns our vote.
Paul Correa, a city planning commissioner, has a degree in urban planning from UC Berkeley. He’s most outspoken and enthusiastic on the issue of Wal-Mart. He’s a staunch opponent of the corporate giant and, of course, the proposal to build a Wal-Mart Supercenter here. Correa, 31, is a lifelong Gilroyan who worked for the city of San Jose in the planning department and is now a private land-use consultant. He would consider proposing and/or supporting a liveable wage ordinance for the city and he leans toward requiring large businesses to complete economic impact reports before being approved. His developing platform sounds more appropriate for Santa Cruz than Gilroy. Beyond that, his attendance record as a planning commissioner has been spotty. On downtown, he has advanced ideas about housing and mixed use that makes sense and his expertise should be respected when Gilroy gets around to putting some touches of reality into the downtown vision.
Roland Velasco is a thoughtful listener who methodically and quietly studies issues and arrives, usually, at a middle-of-the-road position. Velasco does his homework, then he balances the equation. He’s compassionate without being a social engineeer and takes his reponsibility as a Councilmember seriously. He does not shoot from the hip. The 37-year-old policy aide for Supervisor Don Gage has a wealth of knowledge about city issues, county government and regional transportation. If he doesn’t know an answer, he can find it. Being able to direct and assist others will be important on a Council that will, hopefully, be adding some new blood. We encourage him to step up and become more of a leadership force and, at the same time, acknowedge that his value as a team player will play a key role in moving the city ahead on critical issues like downtown revitalization, budget cuts and decisions on capital projects. Velasco has earned our respect and he deserves a second term. He’s a capable representative who is not interested in political gamesmanship, but rather in the best interests of Gilroy citizens.
Bruce Morasca is a political novice who has made some interesting proposals, most notably the idea that 1 percent of the city’s General Fund be allocated annually specifically to be spent on arts and culture. It’s a proposal worth Council’s full attention because getting this city to commit to anything other than status quo and “more for public safety” has been exceedingly difficult. Despite a decade of double-digit increases in sales tax revenues, Gilroyans don’t have an arts center, a youth sports complex or a vibrant downtown. The 50-year-old Albertson’s grocery clerk is keen on building the arts center near downtown and sees that as a cornerstone for revitalization. Something has to break Gilroy’s budget tunnel vision, and Morasca, at least, is willing to set aside Gilroy’s “public safety gospel” and propose that we raise the Transient Occupancy (hotel) Tax 1 percent and use the money to build the arts center. It’s not enough for us to recommend Morasca for Council. He needs more seasoning and experience in order to further define himself politically. Perhaps a seat on the city’s Arts and Culture Commission would be a good first step.
Russ Valiquette, 44, has rolled up his sleeves since his last bid for City Council and deserves a shot to move up from planning commission chairman to the city’s main political stage. Valiquette, a loss prevention supervisor at Bonfante Gardens Theme Park, isn’t going to make stirring speeches from the dais, but he will take on extra assignments, study what’s in his packet and be a dilligent representative for Gilroy. He has proven that on the planning commision and his perfect – as in 100 percent – attendance record punctuates that fact. Our hope is that he errs on the side of asking too many questions for city administration – even when it ruffles some feathers – and that he is not overindulgent when it comes to the police department wish list. He’s a pragmatist with conservative leanings and a contributor who’s shown he’ll go the extra mile for Gilroy through actions such as taking on the task of organizing this year’s Memorial Day parade.
