Main story: Gilroy gets new mayor, growth control measure passes decidedly
Two new faces on the city council, Tucker retains seat
Published in the November 16 – 29, 2016 issue of Gilroy Life
By Marty Cheek
Photo by Char Marrazzo
Roland Velasco celebrates becoming the mayor of Gilroy by cutting a cake with his wife, Lisa Velasco, at the Old City Hall restaurant on election night.
Gilroy voters decided Roland Velasco will become the city’s new mayor, and Fred Tovar and Paul Kloecker will join the city council with current councilmember Cat Tucker returning. Measure H passed with two-thirds of the voters approving the city’s controversial growth control ordinance.
With the ground-shaking outcome of the 2016 presidential election, it’s important for residents to remember that there were also Gilroy candidates and measures on the ballot that will directly impact the quality of life for them and their neighbors.
As of press time Friday Nov. 11 with 66 percent of the ballots counted, in the race for Gilroy mayor, current city councilmember Velasco received 8,025 votes (about 66 percent), with incumbent Perry Woodward receiving 4,185 votes. (Editor’s note: Read Velasco’s guest column introducing himself as the mayor-elect on the front page of this issue of Gilroy Life.)
Woodward served on the Gilroy City Council for nine years and as mayor for the past 11 months when he was appointed to the position to replace Don Gage, who left the seat in December 2015. He said it was a “tremendous honor” to serve for nearly a decade in Gilroy’s government.
“Faced initially with the worst recession since the Great Depression, we made tremendous strides,” he said. “Gang activity is at an historic low. The budget is balanced. The unreinforced masonry buildings that have blighted our downtown for decades are nearly gone. We are attracting new businesses and bringing in good-paying jobs. Our Open Government Ordinance, enacted in 2008, puts Gilroy at the forefront of American cities when it comes to transparency.”
Woodward worked on the boards of VTA and Caltrain which helped position Gilroy for “desperately needed” highway improvements, roadway repairs and enhanced commuter train service, he said. The list of challenges on the horizon — including how to provide for sensible, transit-oriented development — remains long and daunting, he said.
“The people have spoken, and in doing so have taken a tremendous weight off my shoulders and placed it squarely on Mayor-elect Velasco’s,” Woodward said. “I respect the will of the people. I want to thank everyone who believed in me and stood by me. My heart will always belong to Gilroy, my family’s home for five generations now. I will support the new mayor and ask that my supporters do the same. Let’s overcome the challenges together and make Gilroy the amazing city it can be.”
In the eight-person race for the three open seats on the Gilroy City Council, Gilroy Unified School District board trustee Fred Tovar received 4,757, the most votes, incumbent Cat Tucker came in second at 4,157 votes, and Paul Kloecker came in third with 3,911 votes. Tom Fischer received 3,798 votes, Craig Gartman received 3,533 votes, appointed incumbent Daniel Harney received 3,246 votes, Reid Lerner received 2,924 votes, and J Brennan received 1,224 votes.
Kloecker’s goals serving on the council are to maintain fiscal integrity, ensure adequate levels of public safety personnel and equipment and work for long-range planning for moderate growth.
“Overarching these goals and interests is my intent to promote maximum teamwork and cooperation among council members and among the major organizations of Gilroy,” he said.
In the campaign for Gilroy Unified School District Board of Trustees, Mark Good came in first with 7,839 votes, James Pace came in second with 6,944 votes, and BC Doyle came in third with 5,947 votes. Paul Nadeau was on the ballot but in the middle of the race dropped out because of time commitments and told Gilroy Life he would not take the position if elected. He received 5,859 votes.
In the race for the Gavilan Community College board, candidate Rachel Perez received 2,806 votes to win the seat over Danielle Davenport who received 1,538 votes.
Perez said she will work to bring to Gavilan more vocational programs that support a living wage and workforce preparation. She also wants to build bridges with local high schools, more business/industry/trades partnerships and increase technology skills with math and science internship programs.
“One of my focuses will be that policies are thoroughly discussed through effective conversation so decisions support student success and reflect the needs of the community,” she said.
Congresswoman Zoe Lofgren won re-election to the California 19th Congressional District which includes Gilroy, Morgan Hill and San Martin.
“I look forward to doing all I can to assist people in South County and to work on issues of concern,” she said.
Gilroy citizens voted 8,161 to 4,243 in favor of Measure H, an Urban Growth Boundary initiative that sets a perimeter around the city, limiting how far it can expand into land now primarily agricultural in enterprise.
Connie Rogers, a former city councilmember and a member of Gilroy Growing Smarter which put the measure on the ballot, said voters sent the message that they want to protect the region’s natural environment, water supply and the farmland and also see investment in Gilroy’s downtown rather than sprawling housing developments.
“Above all they want to vote directly on the limits of growth, helping to define the community and retaining our city’s special character,” she said.
On the county level, the Measure A bond for affordable housing passed by 313,688 yes votes to 152,291 no votes. The Measure B half-cent sales tax to pay for transportation infrastructure improvements and efficient public transit passed by 335,845 yes votes to 135,924 no votes.
GILROY ELECTION
Mayor (percent)
Roland Velasco: 66
Perry Woodward: 34
City Council (percent)
Fred Tovar: 17.29
Cat Tucker: 15.05
Paul Kloecker: 14.19
Tom Fisher: 13.78
Craig Gartman: 12.83
Daniel Harney: 11.79
Reid Lerner: 10.63
J Brennan: 4.44
Number are tentative as some ballots are still being counted
