The Santa Clara Valley Water District board of directors has
been knee-deep in scandals for some time, but its new Director Don
Gage, a Gilroy resident and longtime politician, says he’s the man
who will bring back credibility.
The Santa Clara Valley Water District board of directors has been knee-deep in scandals for some time, but its new Director Don Gage, a Gilroy resident and longtime politician, says he’s the man who will bring back credibility.
“We need representation from South County. That board has got a lot of transparency problems and ethical problems” that Gage said he looks forward to cleaning up.
Gage crushed his opponents in the election Tuesday, garnering almost more than twice as many votes than his closest competitor Gilroy winery owner Tom Kruse. Gage finished with 22,558 votes or 59 percent, Kruse, 71, had 11,676 votes and San Jose dentist Roberto Sepulveda, 59, carried 3,996 votes.
Gage stayed at his Gilroy home Tuesday night to watch the numbers next to his name increase in the race for the sole seat to represent South County on the board of directors.
“I’m ready to go to bed. But, I am very pleased,” Gage, 65, said about 11 p.m. Tuesday. “There a lot of issues and a lot of work to do and I think we can make a better water district out of that place. The workers do a good job, but the board is what needs to have some change and I’m glad I can be a part of it,” Gage said.
He leaves behind 14 years as District 1 county supervisor after his term expires this year. Before supervisor, Gage was a Gilroy city councilman and its mayor in the 1980s and 1990s.
For years, South County has had two representatives on the board but a law was passed that re-drew district lines so all seven members are elected – no longer is there an elected director and an appointed South County director – ending South County’s dual representation. Gage said his experience with South County both as an elected official and as a lifelong resident will aid his leadership.
In April, the board of directors were accused of gerrymandering during the redistricting process. South County’s at-large Director Cy Mann and Gage were accused of meeting to try to devise two South County districts to ensure both Gage and Mann had a seat on the board. The split map linked urban Palo Alto with rural Gilroy and upset many South County officials, including a threatened lawsuit by Gilroy’s current mayor, eventually leading to a map redo that keeps Morgan Hill and Gilroy together.
Rosemary Kamei and Cy Mann currently represent South County, though both will leave the district following the election. Kamei is not seeking any candidacy and Mann, who was appointed in February, ran for a seat on the Santa Clara County Board of Education and finished in a distant last place with 12.5 percent of the vote or 3,801 votes.
The water district sells water wholesale to companies, cities or individual well owners for distribution, while also acting as a flood protection agency and steward for its streams, creeks, underground aquifers and reservoirs. About 800 employees work for the district with a current budget of about $304 million annually.
