Councilwoman Marilyn Librers, a nearly 40-year resident of Morgan Hill, is running for her third consecutive term on the city council in order to contribute to a “bright and exciting future” for the city.
Since her first four-year term, which started in 2008, Librers counts fiscal responsibility, the preservation of Morgan Hill’s “charming small-town feel” and solid public safety services among the city’s attributes she hopes to maintain.
“This community has a unique mix of family life, recreation, tourism and agriculture,” said Librers, who has two adult children and a granddaughter who live in Morgan Hill. “I believe as a City Council member, I have contributed to all of these.”
Librers is a strong supporter of Measure S, the city’s growth control ordinance update on the same ballot as Morgan Hill City Council and mayoral races. While other candidates have doubts about the measure, Librers thinks it can effectively manage local growth and prevent surges of construction.
“I support slow planned residential growth, development of downtown businesses and strong economic growth in our industrial areas,” Librers said.
She also counts public safety as an ongoing priority if re-elected, as the city’s police and fire services account for more than 75 percent of Morgan Hill’s general fund budget.
Another important issue to Librers is the maintenance of city streets—an area of city services that is vastly underfunded. If re-elected, she said she will seek funding for street maintenance and upgrades through grants and by taking a look at utility expenses to ensure that infrastructure is “up-to-date and safe.”
Furthermore, she encourages voters to vote “Yes” on the Valley Transportation Authority’s Measure B half-cent sales tax on the Nov. 8 ballot, which is projected to provide about $800,000 annually to Morgan Hill to fix potholes and maintain streets.
Librers is retired from the Mt. Madonna YMCA, and is a former Morgan Hill Parks and Recreation Commissioner. For the last eight years, she has been the Executive Director of the Morgan Hill-based nonprofit Pauchon Research Foundation.
She is also President of the nonprofit China-Silicon Valley, which promotes economic ties between the two regions. Librers has traveled to China numerous times to promote these ties.
Librers is also a past board member of the Morgan Hill Community Foundation, former representative of the Morgan Hill Sister Cities Association and has held various posts with the League of California Cities as a representative of Morgan Hill in recent years.
This article is part of a series of profiles on the five candidates running for Morgan Hill City Council in the Nov. 8 election. Candidates are incumbents Larry Carr and Marilyn Librers, and challengers Mario Banuelos, Armando Benavides and Rene Spring. There are two seats open in the election, and voters will get to select two candidates on the ballot. The top two overall vote getters will win the seats. Click the links at the bottom of this page to view the other candidates’ profiles.
