The current configuration of VTA board of directors gives the
cities of Milpitas, Gilroy and Morgan Hill one person to represent
the interests of all three cities. The seat on the board rotates
among the three cities
’ mayors.
The current configuration of VTA board of directors gives the cities of Milpitas, Gilroy and Morgan Hill one person to represent the interests of all three cities. The seat on the board rotates among the three cities’ mayors.
When Gilroy Mayor Tom Springer steps down from the VTA board in December, the seat will move to Milpitas. That means the only voice for south Santa Clara County will be County Supervisor Don Gage’s – he serves as one of three representatives from the county’s board of supervisors. Should the supervisors change their board assignments, south Santa Clara County might have no representation on the public transit agency’s board of directors.
We think it’s high time for a reconfiguration of the VTA board of directors. There’s no logical reason to match South County with Milpitas – a city with whom we have little in common, not even geographic proximity.
Now, with the VTA set to make key decisions about Measure A Extension sales tax dollars – should they be spent on BART – and about mortgaging the agency’s future on BART by going heavily into debt, the differences between the needs and interests of Milpitas and South Valley are even more apparent.
Milpitas residents – who live on the edge of the South Bay and the East Bay – will be smack-dab in the middle of the path BART is proposed to take from the East Bay to San Jose. Milpitas residents have a vested interest in seeing BART extended to San Jose.
South Santa Clara County residents, on the other hand, do not. They will reap little or no benefit from a link between San Jose and the East Bay. They will incur more taxes from heavy debt to pay for the likely BART construction and operation boondoggle. Our interest lies in improving Caltrain service to South Valley by increasing the number of tracks and trains, improving the legendarily rough tracks in South Valley, and in electrifying Caltrain.
Yet, at this key time in VTA history, no mayor from South Valley will sit on the VTA board.
It’s time to split South Valley from Milpitas on the VTA board. South Valley should have one seat to rotate between the Morgan Hill and Gilroy mayors, and Milpitas should be paired with a city whose interests more closely match its needs and interests.
Otherwise, the fastest growing and most underserved chunk of VTA’s service area – south Santa Clara County – will also be the most under-represented.
If the VTA wants the support of all county residents, if it wants to be able to claim with a straight face that it serves and represents all county residents, then this reconfiguration of the agency’s board of trustees is the only equitable arrangement.
To respond to this editorial or comment on this issue, please send or bring letters to Editor, The Morgan Hill Times, 30 E. Third St., Morgan Hill, CA 95037, fax to 779-3886 or email to
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