Council, mayoral candidates quizzed on wide variety of
issues
Auto dealerships and how to boost the city’s income were popular topics Thursday when the two candidates for mayor and four of five city council candidates fielded questions at City Hall.
The forum, sponsored by The Times and the Morgan Hill branch of the American Association of University Women, was designed to give voters a look at the candidates and hear their answers on a variety of issues. Candidates sat in council chairs in council chambers packed with a crowd that overflowed into City Hall proper.
Incumbent Mayor Dennis Kennedy and challenger Councilman Greg Sellers spent two minutes each telling voters why they deserved to be mayor.
“With experience comes wisdom,” Kennedy said about his three full 2-year terms.
Sellers said he was grateful for Kennedy’s years of service but thought the council needed a new direction and an infusion of energy.
“It is time for a change,” Sellers said.
Each was asked, by moderators Walt Glines for The Times and AAUW’s Katie Brill, to name his top three priorities.
Sellers said, “Coyote Valley, downtown and the schools.”
Kennedy said, “Coyote Valley, the educational system and balancing the city budget with economic development.”
When asked how voters could tell them apart in style, Kennedy said he listens.
“My style is collaborative and deliberate,” Kennedy said. “I’m a problem solver.”
Sellers adjusted the points a bit.
“I am collaborative, inclusive and decisive,” he said. “I bring people together.”
The two differed on how to handle Coyote Valley if it continues to develop without Morgan Hill’s interests in mind.
“A lawsuit is a last resort,” Kennedy said.
Sellers said he would consider a lawsuit against San Jose, if necessary, because “you don’t go into battle unless you’re fully armed.”
Kennedy said being mayor was a full-time job. Sellers said, if the citizens wanted a full- time mayor they would pay for one, instead of setting an $800 a month stipend.
After Kennedy and Sellers finished, the moderators turned to the four council candidates who were present. Kelly Bell Kubica was home with a medical condition and has not taken part in the campaign.
Because Allan Abrams and Bell Kubica said earlier that they entered the race for council mostly because they were displeased with the way the city planned to add more auto dealerships on East Dunne in the Walnut Grove area, that topic received a good deal of attention.
Kennedy said the primary reason to have an auto district was sales taxes, which pay for police and fire protection, recreation services and park maintenance. Sellers said they should not proceed without the support of neighbors. Abrams was totally against another dealer locating across the fence from his house and wanted to look at other types of businesses that might bring in revenue. Julia Starling said if the neighbors don’t want it there, the city should put it someplace else.
Incumbent Councilman Larry Carr said he wants the city to look at the process of another dealer but had not taken a stance.
“But if it doesn’t work, it’s back to the drawing board,” Carr said. “Dealers want to be together, not strung out throughout the city.”
Mark Grzan said he was probably the only candidate who actually had lived near a dealership.
“In Sunnyvale, there were engines running, lights, noise, exhaust pollution at all hours,” Grzan said. “That’s not what I believe Morgan Hill envisioned for our gateways.”
Carr, who has worked on both city and Chamber of Commerce economic development committees, is devoted to bringing more business downtown and elsewhere too.
“The council has developed a 5-year strategy to protect public services and public safety,” Carr said.
He referred to a previous budget crisis, in the early 1990s, when the city closed down its entire recreation department, laid off many police officers and sold the fire department to Santa Clara County Fire. Later the current and previous councils stored up budget reserves to be used as a cushion in the next period of tight budgets, which the city has been in for two years.
Grzan would not compromise the general plan to solve the budget shortfall. Starling wants to use most of the reserves.
“We’ll think of some way to put them back,” Starling said.
Abrams said he was more concerned about the long term condition of the budget.
“There is no need for knee-jerk reactions (such as an auto dealership),” Abrams said. “There is always time to invest and use the reserve money wisely.”
Whether to build the new library now, at 28,000 square-feet) with the $17 million in hand or wait for state bond money to build the sufficient-in-size 40,000 square-foot library is another issue that get voters riled up. The most vehement want what they can get now, which is Grzan’s position.
“Our library must be funded property,” Grzan said. “Build as much as we can, add on later.”
Abrams and Starling agreed.
Kennedy and Carr, who have actually dealt with the matter, both said they thought waiting to decide at least until the end of November when the state will announce if Morgan Hill is in the winning column for bond money, was financially prudent.
Carr was persistent in wanting to find new sources of revenue, especially to ease the burden on Morgan Hill police. Staffing has only just returned to 1991 levels, though the city is considerably bigger.
Cable Channel 17 broadcast the forum live to viewers at home, with rebroadcast later on Channels 17 and 19; videotapes are available at the library for voters who missed the performance. Channel 19 will show the forum Friday, Oct. 22, from 7-9pm; a rebroadcast of Monday’s school board candidate forum will be announced later. www.mhat.tv/
Carol Holzgrafe covers City Hall for The Times. She can be reached by e-mail at ch********@*************es.com or phoning (408) 779-4106 Ext. 201.
