Congratulations to our new Mayor-elect Steve Tate who faces some formidable challenges after a resounding victory Nov. 7.
He will now have to show he can lead a city that needs to continue to remain economically viable while at the same time remain true to its growth restrictions so close and dear to its residents. We hope Tate will deliver on his promises of being fiscally responsible and enhancing safety services.
Best wishes also go to incumbent Councilman Greg Sellers who will continue to serve on the council for a third four-year term and to graphic designer Marby Lee who will take over the seat left vacant by Tate. Lee’s second-place showing on Election Night came somewhat as a surprise. It said Lee worked hard communicating with voters to get them to cast a ballot in her name.
It will be interesting to watch a woman legislate in what has been an all-male body for the past two years. We hope Lee keeps a steady eye on the city budget while helping to revitalize the downtown and increase staffing for public safety.
Tate, Sellers and other “council insiders” must work hard to help Lee succeed by quickly bringing her up to speed on the many issues affecting the city. They must set aside personal differences to work cohesively to help Morgan Hill provide its businesses with economic development incentives while at the same time addressing an ever increasing need for affordable housing.
Morgan Hill School Board Race
Newcomer Bart Fisher on the Morgan Hill Unified School District Board of Education will be an asset for trustees as they work to improve their many botched attempts at settling the demoralizing labor dispute with classified employees that has dragged on for more than six months. He, along with re-elected trustees Mike Hickey, Don Moody and Shelle Thomas must improve the level trust in the community in light of recent Brown Act violations and the top-down leadership style from Superintendent Alan Nishino. To be effective, Hickey needs to remain objective and stop being an apologist for Nishino. Not only does this erode his credibility, but makes him completely useless on the board.
Measure F
Voters also approved revisions to the city’s growth control law which will allow 100 residential units above ground-level retail space in downtown’s core. The change will surely boost downtown’s economy in the future and will add more life and excitement for young people and couples who long to have a vibrant place to live, socialize and shop all at the same time.
Measure A
One good news for local ranchers, farmers and vineyard owners was the defeat of Measure A. We tip our hats to the agriculture community and the private property advocates who fought hard against the twisted message delivered by the misguided proponents of Measure A.
Calling themselves “environmentalists,” they argued that tougher rules were needed to protect the county’s remaining rural landscape. But rural landowners countered that the rules won’t help preserve agriculture and would harm them financially and hamper their ability to hand down family farms from generation to generation.
Measure A proponents, which included the Sierra Club, Greenbelt Alliance and that Santa Clara Valley Audubon Society, spent more than $1 million trying to make it tougher for farmers and ranches to develop their land. Voters, thankfully, still value private property rights, common sense and the local agriculture industry enough to turn their back to the big-money Palo Alto-based proponents headed by Peter Drekmeier. The Santa Clara County Farm Bureau fought hard to oppose the measure and we’re happy to see that it prevailed as we believe current county zoning laws do the job.
Rebuilding California
We also applaud voters for passing the “Rebuilding California” initiatives A through E and Proposition 84. While not covered by the media as much as the other Propositions on the ballot, voters had foresight to support them. They will rebuild our transportation system by building roads and alleviate traffic congestion, improve air quality, enhance safety, provide housing for lower-income residents, repair and upgrade public schools, finance disaster preparedness and flood prevention projects and issue $5.4 billion in bonds for several projects related to water safety, rivers, beaches, levees, watersheds and parks and forests.
