MILPITAS — Although Milpitas could dwell within the shadow of its glitzier, extra well-known Silicon Valley neighbors to the west, its metropolis council and mayor has attracted its personal share of consideration within the South Bay for raucous conferences which have at occasions devolved into shouting and private assaults.
It’s time for the grown ups to paved the way, say candidates who're vying for town’s prime job.
Within the working are three metropolis councilmembers, Karina Dominguez, Anthony Phan and Carmen Montano. The winner will head a metropolis of 80,000 with a roughly $200 million price range that's making an attempt to ascertain itself in its place and extra inexpensive possibility for the valley’s expertise corporations to arrange store. It’s additionally going through a rising homeless and housing disaster, inflicting consternation from residents who're pushing metropolis leaders to undertake stricter and extra sturdy insurance policies.
Mayor Wealthy Tran dropped out of the race for a council seat in August after terming out this November, although he plans to attempt to regain his prime seat in 2024 after a mandated two-year cooling off interval.
“We have to change the tradition inside Metropolis Corridor,” mentioned Dominguez, a vocal critic of Tran and who has labored beforehand in administrative roles at varied nonprofits. “(We'd like) a mayor that's moral, brings accountability and that's respectful.”
Phan, who additionally has been crucial of Tran and at occasions aligns himself with Dominguez on the council, made comparable remarks. “A variety of occasions it will get private,” he mentioned concerning the atmosphere inside Metropolis Corridor. “I wish to change that. I used to be to revive morale.”
Phan, who runs a land use consultancy firm, not too long ago made headlines when it was revealed he’d employed his 14-year-old cousin to be his marketing campaign treasurer again in 2016, main a state watchdog group to advantageous him hundreds of dollars. He additionally acquired into deep water after the District Lawyer’s workplace warned him about taking Montano’s full identify for a marketing campaign web site area and redirecting it to his personal.
Even Montano, a dependable ally of Tran and a longtime college instructor, made clear that decorum will probably be a precedence if she’s elected. “We’re right here to do the folks’s enterprise,” she mentioned. “With none drama and any facet exhibits.”
Apart from cultural adjustments, prime of thoughts for the candidates is what to do about homelessness and a scarcity of inexpensive housing — points which till not too long ago town was largely insulated from, in contrast to the remainder of the South Bay. This month, councilmembers narrowly handed an ordinance in a 3-2 vote that restricts folks from establishing tents and sleeping in public areas throughout daytime.
Dominguez and Phan, who oppose the brand new legislation, declare that it'll do little to assist the roughly 120 homeless folks within the metropolis and have known as for extra systemic adjustments like elevated collaboration with Santa Clara County housing officers. In earlier feedback, Dominguez mentioned the rule “reminds” her of Nazis, whereas Phan mentioned he doesn’t “see how it's a answer in any respect.” Montano raised the significance of public “right-of-way” areas and mentioned she’s open to tweaking the ordinance if points come up. She’s additionally known as for extra sources for the homeless inhabitants, together with a navigation heart and a protected parking program.
Simply weeks earlier than the ordinance handed, Milpitas dad and mom with kids within the metropolis’s college district had been requested to search out further room of their properties to assist accommodate lecturers since many have left the realm to search out extra inexpensive choices with their comparatively low salaries. Dominguez, Phan and Montano agreed that the state of affairs requires a housing mission particularly geared in the direction of town’s lecturers and different decrease revenue public sector employees.
Every councilmember, in the meantime, has carved out their very own slice of the endorsement cake.
Montano has been capable of decide up the assist of town’s present powerbrokers, together with the present mayor, Councilmember Evelyn Chua, together with officers like District 3 County Supervisor Otto Lee. She’s additionally acquired the thumbs up from each the police and fireplace unions.
Phan has angled his endorsements to be extra regional, with Meeting members Alex Lee and Mike Fond giving their assist, together with former Milpitas Mayors Jose Esteves, Bob Livengood and Henry Chang Manayan.
The realm’s extra progressive bloc is behind Dominguez, together with District 4 County Supervisor Susan Ellenberg, the Santa Clara Younger Democrats, Democratic Activist for Girls Now and South Bay Labor.
Different candidates embody native businessmen Franco Perez and Ola Hassan, together with retired geologist Voltaire Montemayor, who’s making an attempt for his fourth time for the mayor’s seat. Perez and Hassan additionally spoke on the significance of constructing inexpensive housing for town. Montemayor didn't reply to an interview request.
With each Dominguez and Montano’s phrases expiring this November, a swath of candidates try to fill their seats. They embody Planning Commissioner Dipak Awasthi, legal professional Garry Barbadillo, college board member Michael Tsai, Vector Fabrication Vice President Isaac Stringer, former Planning Commissioner Demetress Morris, entrepreneur Hon Lien and Chamber of Commerce board member Juliette Gomez.