Three seats on the Morgan Hill city council – including the mayor’s – are up for grabs in the November general election, but so far only one incumbent is ready to declare candidacy.
The seats currently occupied by council members Marilyn Librers and Larry Carr, and Mayor Steve Tate will be up for election on the Nov. 6 ballot, the same that will carry choices for U.S. president, congressional and statewide races.
With nearly 10 months of campaigning before election day, and almost six months until the official qualifying period even begins, Librers is the most committed of the three incumbents to run for re-election so far. Carr strongly hinted Monday that he will run to hold onto his seat, and Tate said he remains undecided.
Librers said she feels like she’s “in the middle” of her job as council member, which started almost four years ago with her election in 2008.
“I think the city is at a critical crossing point, with the loss of the redevelopment agency. I want to make sure the investments we have made are well-managed, and continue with whatever redevelopment we have downtown,” said Librers, adding she hopes to remain on the dais to ensure the agency-funded extension of Butterfield Boulevard will be completed in the next year or so.
Librers, the executive director of the Pauchon Research Foundation, is referring to the dissolution of the city’s redevelopment agency, which was enacted by Gov. Jerry Brown and upheld by the state Supreme Court last year as a way for the state to take control of the RDA’s former revenues.
The loss of the RDA in Morgan Hill, which will disappear Wednesday along with about 400 such agencies statewide, will present significant financial difficulties in Morgan Hill as the agency’s cash revenues supported about $2 million worth of staff positions and city services. Without those revenues, the city will continue to face the difficult choice of how to either eliminate those services or fill them in with other revenues.
The resulting “wind-down” or liquidation of the RDA will continue for the foreseeable future, and Librers said it’s important that process is completed in a way that preserves the benefits of redevelopment to the residents, as much as possible.
Carr indicated Monday he is leaning toward running for re-election – “If the filing deadline were tomorrow, I’d be filing,” he said.
He also cited the challenges associated with the former redevelopment agency as a precarious place in which to leave the city.
“I thoroughly enjoy working with the council and the city staff, my constituents and the people of Morgan Hill I serve,” Carr said. “We have some tough challenges ahead that require some level of experience. But, as well, we have some excitement coming up.”
He said the loss of the RDA is a “dramatic change” that will present both challenges and opportunities. “That was the tool we used to have, to improve the economic development climate. How do we do it now?”
Still, Carr said he has some time to think about whether or not to run before the beginning of the filing period July 16.
Carr, the associate vice president of public affairs at San Jose State University, added that he hopes Tate runs for re-election, and he will support him if he does. But when asked if he would run for that seat if Tate decides to sit out this election, he said with a full-time job and a young family it’s “too important a decision” to speculate lightly about.
Tate said he has been asked by residents whether or not he’ll run for re-election in November “more and more frequently” lately, but he does not currently know if he will run.
The first day for local candidates to pull qualification applications from the city clerk’s office is July 16, according to city clerk Irma Torrez. The last day to file the papers is Aug. 10. However, if no incumbents file for a particular seat or office, the qualifying period will be extended to Aug. 15.
The top two vote-getters in the council race will win the seats that are opening up, and the candidate receiving the most votes in the mayor’s race will win, Torrez explained. Council members serve four-year terms and the mayor serves a two-year term.
Other local offices appearing on the Nov. 6 ballot are city clerk and city treasurer, which are currently occupied by Torrez and Michael Roorda, respectively. Torrez said she is undecided on her candidacy, and Roorda said he is planning to run for re-election.
Council and mayoral candidates who ran in the 2010 election mostly said they have not decided whether or not they will run this time around.
Former mayoral candidate Art College said he is “not interested right now.” Former council member and 2010 mayoral candidate Marby Lee said she hasn’t decided if she will run again, as did former council candidate Ken Galloway said the same thing. Former council candidates Michael “Poppy” Castelan and Dave Mounteer said they will not run this time.
Joseph Carrillo, a candidate for council in 2010, appears as a candidate for the 17th state senate district – which includes Morgan Hill – on an “unofficial list of candidates” provided by the Santa Clara County Registrar of Voters. A primary election of June 5 is scheduled for that and other statewide and judicial races.
Other former candidates could not be contacted before press time.
Offices up for election Nov. 6 are two council seats, mayor,city clerk, city treasurer. Those interested in running can pullapplications starting July 16, and file before the deadline of Aug.10 (or Aug. 15 if no incumbents file). There is no filing fee torun for city offices. Interested residents can inquire at CityHall, 17575 Peak Ave., Morgan Hill for details.
