Four years on the City Council hot seat have not diminished
Larry Carr
’s eagerness for the job or for a second term. He clearly loves
Morgan Hill and its residents, old and new, is fervent about the
welfare of the school district and looks forward to upcoming
challenges. And challenges they are, especially the wrangle over
adding one more car dealership on East Dun
ne Avenue.
Four years on the City Council hot seat have not diminished Larry Carr’s eagerness for the job or for a second term.
He clearly loves Morgan Hill and its residents, old and new, is fervent about the welfare of the school district and looks forward to upcoming challenges. And challenges they are, especially the wrangle over adding one more car dealership on East Dunne Avenue.
“It’s an awful way to fund the city budget, relying on commercial sales taxes,” Carr said recently.
Car dealerships are popular with city governments because they bring in large amounts of sales taxes, which end up in the general fund – and pay for police and fire protection, recreation services and park maintenance.
Carr, who served on a state tax advisory committee, said the tax system should be tied to the use of dollars – property taxes to pay for pothole repair – instead of forcing cities to attract businesses that don’t exactly fit with their image or residents’ needs.
However, he says, sales taxes are a fact of life in California since the 1970s and, as a member of the Economic Development Committee charged with bringing businesses to town, Carr tries to do just that.
But where to put another auto dealership is a puzzle.
“I think (the city) can work with dealers and property owners to develop a very limited number of new dealerships in Morgan Hill that would not have significant impacts on the rest of the community,” he said.
On the Walnut Grove site, Carr wants the Planning Commission to talk to property owners, dealers and, especially, residents who live on the other side of the wall who are resisting talk of car stores. Residents say the city’s general plan update and zoning map led them to believe multi-family housing would be built behind them.
“It’s perfectly appropriate that the commission look at this first,” Carr said
After that, the new council will listen, talk and decide. He doesn’t, however, think it’s usually right for councils to make promises for future ones.
“The Walnut Grove issue could have developed differently with a different style of leadership,” he said.
Carr is supporting Councilman Greg Sellers for mayor over long-time Mayor Dennis Kennedy.
“We have countless things to thank Dennis for but, there comes a time when that style of leadership plateaus and we need to move to the next level,” Carr said.
The council position, which pays $300 a month, takes a fair amount of time and can impose on a busy lifestyle.
Carr says he is always available to residents by phone and e-mail even though his job takes him to Palo Alto and Stanford Hospital most days. He is usually able to attend the extra meetings in and out of town that are part of all council members’ lives.
