City elections are about six months away, and for some
candidates that leaves time to hone their platform before making an
official announcement. Others, however, are already eager to jump
into the race in which two city council seats and the mayor’s seat
are up for grabs.
City elections are about six months away, and for some candidates that leaves time to hone their platform before making an official announcement. Others, however, are already eager to jump into the race in which two city council seats and the mayor’s seat are up for grabs.
Running for council are Morgan Hill restaurateurs Michael Castelan and Rick Moreno. The two seats are currently occupied by Council members Greg Sellers and Marby Lee. Sellers will not seek re-election, while Lee has not decided whether or not she will run.
And Mayor Steve Tate is the only candidate so far to confirm that he will run to hold onto his current mayoral seat.
But the list of candidates could grow significantly before the Nov. 2 election, as a former mayor said he is keeping an open mind.
The candidates’ paperwork filing period, when candidacies become official, doesn’t even start until July 12. The deadline to file is Aug. 6, according to council services records manager Tina McVay.
Council candidates will run for four-year terms, and the positions are at-large, meaning the top two vote-winners among the field of candidates will be seated. Mayoral candidates will seek a two-year term.
Tate announced in January that he will seek re-election, citing his experience from 12 years on the dais – four as mayor and eight as a council member. During that time, he has helped the city craft its long-term plan for redevelopment, and he approved the construction of a new library and recreation facilities.
Tate, 66, is running again “to keep things going” with the city’s new sustainable budget strategy, which is crucial during the current financial crisis that spells a $1.8 million deficit going into next year, he said.
“We want to make sure we stick to our principles and don’t do something that could bury us financially,” Tate said.
The mayor also said his private-sector experience in marketing and project management for IBM, from which he is retired, make him qualified to continue serving as mayor.
He also said “people skills” are important in public service.
“It’s very important to have great interpersonal skills, to be able to listen and bring people to a consensus,” Tate said. “I think I do that pretty well.”
Ricatoni’s deli owner Rick Moreno also thinks listening is a key to success – not only in the administration of city services, but also in his field of business management. He has owned 17 retail businesses throughout the Bay Area over the years, turning each one around for sale at a profit, he said. Ricatoni’s, which opened last summer on Monterey Street, is his first foray into the dining sector.
Moreno, 57, has lived in Morgan Hill since 1962. His family has been instrumental in the development of high-visibility real estate in Morgan Hill – including the Candy Park office complex in south Morgan Hill and Johnson’s Lumber on Tennant Avenue.
He said his family has talked about gaining a seat on the city council for several years, but he is the first to make a determined bid.
“I want to help the downtown come back alive,” Moreno said.
An important way to do that is to keep people informed about city and community business, especially regarding a list of properties the city has purchased in recent years.
“My big thing is educating the people about what’s happening at all times,” Moreno said.
He said he has a specific platform in mind, but declined to offer details this soon in the campaign.
However, he did reveal that he hopes Morgan Hill’s downtown can retain the small-town, “family community” atmosphere it has – even through the city’s upcoming redevelopment efforts at two high-profile downtown properties.
And he pointed to the city of Campbell as a favorable model that Morgan Hill could emulate.
“A lot of local people talk about how they’d like to see Morgan Hill in the next five years,” Moreno said. “People want to keep that small-town environment, and they want to see more shops downtown.”
Also running for city council is Castelan, owner of Poppy’s Fish, Poultry and More, on Third Street. Castelan also offered few details about his platform.
“I own a business and a residence in town,” Castelan said. “I love the town, and I want to see the town grow correctly, and in a positive way.”
Three things he listed as being “very important” to the city in its current situation are communication, fiscal responsibility and public safety.
Although Castelan just moved to Morgan Hill last year, he has owned Poppy’s for about five.
Furthermore, he has a background in emergency services, as he served as a firefighter and paramedic for the Freedom Fire Protection District in Santa Cruz County for a decade. He said that experience gives him “better insight” into the need and logistics of providing public safety.
Former mayor Dennis Kennedy said he is hoping for a “good, strong candidate” to throw his support behind. If no such option emerges before the filing deadline he might run for a council seat himself. He said he is not familiar with the current candidates.
“Greg Sellers has been a leader on the council,” Kennedy said. “He leaves big shoes to fill, so we need a good candidate to fill his seat on the council.”
Kennedy served on the dais from 1990 to 2006 – most of that time as mayor.
As for Sellers, he’s only taking a break from public service for a couple years, to focus on his day job in the solar energy industry.
Sellers has served on the council about 12 years. He said after the mandatory state redistricting process is finished in about two years, he might consider making a run for a regional office, such as state assembly or state senate.
He said the current districts in the two chambers have kept Morgan Hill in “purgatory” the last 10 years, and are drawn in a way that has made it difficult for an in-town candidate to be elected.
“If there’s an opportunity to serve the region, I’ll look at it closely,” Sellers said.
He added that Morgan Hill has a wealth of qualified potential candidates to fill his council seat, but didn’t offer any names.
“I hope some of them will step up.”
