GILROY
– In the second of three televised debates, Gilroy City Council
and mayoral candidates squared off Wednesday night for the fourth
time this campaign season.
GILROY – In the second of three televised debates, Gilroy City Council and mayoral candidates squared off Wednesday night for the fourth time this campaign season.
The two-part forum – Council and mayoral candidates debated separately – produced little outward friction between the 10 participating hopefuls. However, the event took place under clouds of uncertainty for both the Council and mayoral races.
On Monday, the sitting Council will review its attorney’s opinion that Mark Dover cannot hold a seat on the city dais and serve on the Gavilan College Board of Education at the same time. State law prohibits public officials from holding elected positions with overlapping jurisdictions. Dover has said he would fight the matter, in court if necessary.
In the mayoral race, candidate Ellyn Atkins has stopped participating in debates. She was a no-show Wednesday and declined an invitation to an Oct. 21 candidates forum hosted by The Dispatch and Community Media Access Partnership.
Atkins wrote a letter to the American Association of University Women, the group that sponsored Wednesday’s forum along with the Gilroy Chamber of Commerce. Atkins said she found the audience questions at a Sept. 17 Gilroy First! debate directed at particular candidates and groups rather than focused on the issues.
She called the debate format “distasteful,” “disturbing” and “unproductive.”
“I think when you don’t participate in these forums you in effect are pulling yourself out of the race,” said Jane Olcott, an AAUW member who was chairwoman for Wednesday’s election forum.
Atkins is a first-time candidate with little political experience. However, with a similar newcomer – Mary Hohenbrink – in the race, the two could, at least in theory, pull enough votes to impact the race between incumbent Councilman Al Pinheiro and former Councilwoman Lupe Arellano.
City Council race
Candidate responses to a mix of predetermined and audience questions Wednesday night could be fodder for a debate Tuesday that will allot time for candidates to rebut one another’s responses.
“Sometimes I think they should just let us go after each other a little bit,” Council candidate Russ Valiquette said following the debate. “I would have liked to have been able to rebut some of the comments that were made.”
All seven Council candidates showed up Wednesday at City Hall for the event. No one in the three-seat race could distance themselves from the crowded field of candidates when it came to answering the question on what, in their opinion, was Gilroy’s most pressing issue.
All replied that maintaining a balanced budget during an economic downturn would be the central issue of their terms, especially with a state Legislature that could swipe $2.5 million from city coffers next year by wiping out the city’s portion of vehicle license fees.
Dover’s response differed slightly. The former city employee said that since budget issues were such a big concern, Council needed to focus on providing better fire service to residents in the northwest quad by manning the third fire station at Sunrise Drive with more than just paramedics.
A fire unit housed at Chestnut Street responding to a call in the northwest quad is a “subpar” level of service, Dover said. This happens occasionally when Las Animas Fire Station may be responding to another call, and the further distant Chestnut Station must respond to its calls.
Candidates were able to distance themselves from one another more easily in their closing comments.
Among the highlights:
• Incumbent Peter Arellano said if budget cuts had to be made he would make sure the reductions were done equitably.
• Valiquette said he would be dedicated to preserving the healthy economic foundation Gilroy currently enjoys from tax revenue and fiscal discipline.
• Dover said he would use his 18 years of experience as a city employee to question things like automatic raises for administrators when other employees are being let go due to budget cuts.
• Incumbent Roland Velasco described himself as a moderate leader who was “a voice of reason” on the Council.
• Businessman Dion Bracco said he “will bring to the table … a common sense approach to fiscal management.”
• Paul Correa, a profession land-use planner and a member of the Gilroy Planning Commission, described himself as the candidate with the professional, educational and political background to get the job done.
• Bruce Morasca said he would make the development of the Arts and Cultural Center a top priority and would revisit public safety master plans to increase police and fire staffing.
Mayoral race
In the quest for mayorhood, Pinheiro focused on how Gilroy is better off from four years ago thanks in part to his role on the current City Council.
Arellano focused on her legacy on City Council and its role in spurring many of the positive things happening in Gilroy now.
Hohenbrink acknowledged her lack of political experience, but said she would use her business experience and leadership qualities to approach the job with a fresh set of eyes.
Among the debate highlights:
• Arellano described herself as a slow-growth proponent who would support continued economic growth especially in the form of non-retail and downtown business expansion.
She said the city’s general plan was a solid document that the current City Council has sometimes not followed because it was lured by “easy money” – a reference to the proliferation of retail box stores and sprawl development.
• Pinheiro presented himself as a well-intentioned and well-seasoned leader who understands how to reach consensus between disparate parties.
Pinheiro said he is not an eloquent speaker, but he is one “who speaks from his heart and says what he means and one who you don’t have to second guess as an individual.”
• Hohenbrink stressed the importance of using volunteer labor and private fund-raising efforts to accomplish many of the city’s goals in these rough economic times.
Maintenance of the Gilroy Museum and establishing a donor program to fund construction of the Arts and Cultural center were two examples she gave.
The Gilroy Chamber of Commerce may use candidate responses, and responses to a questionnaire it sent to the candidates, to make formal campaign endorsements. The chamber has traditionally steered away from campaign endorsements Executive Director Susan Valenta said, but that could change when the chamber board of directors meets next week to consider making voter recommendations.
The next and final debate is scheduled for Tuesday and will be hosted by CMAP and The Dispatch. It will be held at the Gavilan College TV studio and can be seen on channel 20 starting at 6:30 p.m.
