San Jose
– Santa Clara County Supervisor Don Gage Tuesday officially
became chairman of the Board of Supervisors.
Gage, 61, will hold the position for 2007.
San Jose – Santa Clara County Supervisor Don Gage Tuesday officially became chairman of the Board of Supervisors.
Gage, 61, will hold the position for 2007.
Gage has held the rotated position twice before and has acted as chairman since November when Supervisor Jim Beall was elected to the State Assembly.
As chairman, his responsibilities include running meetings, setting agendas and holding the spotlight as spokesman for the county.
He will give a “State of the County” address at 11am, Jan. 30, during the board of supervisors meeting.
Gage said his top priorities for 2007 are providing more affordable housing and plugging a $201-million budget deficit.
“The budget is the highest priority,” Gage said. “We keep asking the state to help us out, but so far they haven’t … we have to lobby really hard to make sure we get the things we need because we’re a safety net for the people in the county from mental health to food stamps to healthcare.”
Gage, formerly the mayor of Gilroy, was elected to the Board of Supervisors in March 1997 and represents District 1, which includes Gilroy, Morgan Hill, San Martin, Los Gatos, Almaden Valley, Santa Teresa, the Santa Cruz Mountains and the Mount Hamilton range. The population is more than 330,000 and it covers 70 percent of the county’s land mass.
A popular leader in rural South County, Gage’s supporters tout him as a politician who stands up for the “little guy.” His accomplishments include spearheading the widening of U.S. 101 from San Jose to Morgan Hill and getting state funding for a flyover ramp at the intersection of Highways 152 and 156. He is credited for plans to build a health clinic in Gilroy and the county courthouse under construction in Morgan Hill.
Gage has been in public service since he was elected to the Gilroy City Council in 1981.
“It’s always nice to have someone who represents your region in a significant leadership role,” said Gilroy City Councilman Peter Arellano. “I think it’s a positive thing and we’ll have a stronger board.”
Gage represents the county on the Valley Transportation Authority Board of Directors, the Library District Joint Powers Authority and the Local Agency Formation Commission – among other groups.
He’s advocated for the expansion of VTA light rail services and Caltrain routes.
Morgan Hill City Councilman Greg Sellers, who represents South County on the VTA board, said Gage will continue to deliver for South County as board chairman.
“It’s always good to have someone who understands our area,” Sellers said.
Gage was more modest about his role as chairman.
“It’s not an elected position; it’s a rotated position,” he said. “You still need three votes to pass anything and South County will still get its share as long as I am around.”
Gage graduated from Gilroy High School in 1963 and Gavilan College in 1969, earning a degree in law enforcement. He worked as a program manager for 30 years at IBM before retiring in 1997.
Gage and his wife, Jeanne, live in Gilroy and have three children and five grandchildren.
