Government: Gilroy City Council decides to consolidate city’s commissions

5-2 vote reduces number of commissions from 13 to 9

By Staff Report

In an effort to give the city’s commissions a broader purpose, the Gilroy City Council by a 5-2 margin voted Jan. 10 to consolidate its city commission from 13 to nine.

“The decision to consolidate places the function of more narrowly focused commissions within the purview of the Planning Commission and the Parks and Recreation Commission, two commissions required by the Gilroy City Charter, and giving commissioners a broader purpose,” said Mayor Marie Blankley.

For perspective, Morgan Hill has four commissions and Hollister has six.

Consolidation of what grew to 15 commissions over the years (consolidated down to 13 in 2019), makes it easier for the public to follow and participate in commission meetings that include greater content, and is more efficient on city resources while still retaining all of the function, Blankley said.

“No changes were made to the Youth Commission, and there was no reduction or changes to the meeting schedules of the nine remaining commissions,” she said.

City Councilmembers Zach Hilton and  Rebeca Armendariz, voted against the consolidation. Hilton said that “despite these  efforts to reduce public input in hopes to consolidate power from the top, the advocates will never stop stepping in, speaking up, and advancing opportunities for all when it comes to governing the community for all.”

The city’s commission recruitment process has been a challenge in recent years, often starting with plenty of applicants for certain commissions and none for others. Also, throughout the year they must often replace commissioners who can’t complete their term or fail to attend meetings.

“Our city commissions are a valuable asset to our community, offering not only the commissioners but, more importantly, the public an opportunity to further study issues and influence recommendations before they get to city council,” Blankley said. “The value of our commissions should not be under-appreciated, and by having fewer commissions with broader purposes, we make public participation less cumbersome and give a greater purpose to the work of our commissioners.”

Visit www.cityofgilroy.org/148/Boards-Commissions-Committees to apply to join a committee.