Two candidates seek to represent Morgan Hill residents as their
mayor next year: two-term city councilman Steve Tate and 30-year
resident Dennis Delisle. We urge voters to choose Tate for
Mayor
As many residents learned when they participated in the community conversations, managing a city is not a simple matter. With eight years’ experience as a city councilman, Tate knows the complex rules governing municipalities’ operations and budgets well. This is not a place for learning on the job.
If elected, Tate has promised more efficient city council meetings, mentioning County Supervisor Don Gage’s gavel-wielding style as the one he’d emulate. He’d focus on how to pay for a third fire station and wants to narrow the focus of the city’s redevelopment agency to downtown.
Tate is fiscally conservative, voting against constructing the aquatics center and the indoor recreation center because of their operating deficits impact the city’s general fund. He was outvoted by his city council colleagues.
Tate also has a regional view and the necessary connections to make Morgan Hill’s voice heard on important regional issues. While his continued support for the expensive and dubiously effective community conversations gives us pause, his position on eminent domain after community outcry against it shows he listens to city residents and makes an informed decision when needed.
We’re glad that Delisle threw his hat into the ring and made this a competitive race and that he increased focus on fiscal issues that many residents understandably feel the current council has ignored. His voice has forced Tate and city council candidates to pay attention to the not-so-sexy but critical budgetary concerns.
However, Morgan Hill residents need a mayor who can hit the ground running. We urge Delisle to become more familiar with the nuts and bolts of city operations, perhaps by serving on a city commission, and look forward to seeing him in another city race.
Steve Tate has earned our endorsement as the best man for the job of mayor of Morgan Hill.
