Gilroy First ! Candidate's Questionnaire

By Bruce Morasca

Candidate: Bruce Morasca

1. Rank the three most important issues currently facing the Gilroy City Council.

Public Safety -- police & fire protection, I am concerned about the fire response time. And would like to revisit the fire master plan to see if we can add more firefighter protection per thousand residents. I would also like to revisit the new police station and ask the hard questions, why the cost overruns are so great!

Economic Development -- use our existing industrial parks to bring in high quality employers, developing new jobs, with decent benefits for the working families of Gilroy.

Downtown Gilroy- a complete Downtown redevelopment that will bring our historic downtown back to life.

2. Gilroy faces challenge in protecting its budget and revenues. Strategies to meet these challenges include using non-benefited contractors and part time employees and exploring creative funding sources. How would you meet the fiscal challenges?

I think the city could be in real fiscal trouble when the state budget is fully known! If faced with budget shortfalls and no other alternatives I would pursue in order Limit wage and benefits increases to employees. Reduce staffing levels and eliminate certain non-essential programs. I am committed to providing essential services" police & fire" will remain in place. Reduce wages and benefits of employees as a last case resort and seek input from employee unions to determine what would be most palatable.

3. How would you ensure funding for parks, recreation areas, and open space in and around Gilroy? Do you see the Santa Clara County Open Space Authority as a resource for balancing growth and open space?

The fees for new housing should insure funding for neighborhood Parks. We need to focus on balanced growth with two main subpoints, infill housing and partnerships in land use with affordable housing.
Gilroy is unique because we are surrounded by agricultural land. And I would like to continue that heritage and discourage further urban sprawl .Our unique town needs the Santa Clara County Open Space Authority as a tool for amenity. I strongly suggest putting it on the ballot for Gilroy citizens to vote on joining the OSA, it could also be an important source of income for our parks.

4.What are your plan for economic development and bringing new jobs to Gilroy? How would you use incentives to bring new business to Gilroy and sustain current Business? Discuss your views on additional big box retailer in Gilroy?

I would include incentive packages to industry to draw them to town, create good paying Jobs with decent benefits for the people of Gilroy. Gilroy has abundant Retail bringing in tax revenue; however our current city council use of the economic incentives, giving away $5 million to two different developers, without any guarantees is gambling with our future! We need to revisit the incentive packages, refining them, having deadlines, limits, and guarantees where appropriate. I would like to save downtown but it is going to be very difficult if we continue to let supper big box retailers build in town.

5. What are your plans for downtown Gilroy?

My plan will empower the owners and business to take control of their property with A three prong approach: Form an assessment District for downtown, only if the building owners and business owners felt it would be warranted. Fast track and wave building permits fees. Mills Act tax reduction on historic buildings I will make strengthening downtown development a top priority. With the planned Cultural Arts Center, and the proposed Train Museum, they would be the anchors that would bring our beautiful and historic downtown back to life.