Happy New Year

With 2025 in the rear-view mirror and the 2025-2026 legislative work plan already established, the Gilroy City Council will dive right into items that need to be completed in 2026. Once the new City Council is seated after the November 3, 2026 election, a new legislative work plan will be established.

This year I will focus on continuing to move Gilroy into the 21st century, building upon the relationships I’ve made, legislative items in our work plan, and introducing new items. We will focus on Policy to Direct General Fund Annual Surplus to Capital Infrastructure Investment, Communication and Support for District-Based Elections, Tobacco Prevention, Opportunity Sites & Programs in our Housing Element 2023-2031, Transportation Demand Management Vehicle Miles Traveled Policy, Climate Action Plan, Joint Use Agreements, and State Legislative Bills.

Year-to-date my office has worked with our State and Federal legislators to secure $5.2 million for project funding that directly benefits our residents, from a bike/ped trail extension on the westside, San Ysidro Park on the eastside, and an enhanced crosswalk for senior housing on the southside. 

I am proud of the housing plan that the Gilroy City Council, Planning Commission, staff and the public approved in 2023. We commit to advancing the 40 opportunity sites for multi-family homes, downtown expansion district and First Street mixed-use corridor flexibility program, 429 corner lots for the middle-income housing program, housing for farmworkers program, and our inclusionary housing ordinance. Empowered through our local control, we will implement these programs and follow through with what we have promised to our residents. By doing this we will become eligible for funding toward implementing our programs and provide housing for all. We are now pulling in the same direction as the region’s long-range plan for housing, transportation, economy and the environment known as Plan Bay Area 2050. It calls for creating compact walkable communities by promoting high-density housing and mixed-use development near transit stations and in existing urban areas. 

We advocate for building and planning that considers future generations as well as current residents who don’t own cars. Advancing mobility options reflects what we are teaching the youth in our community through Safe Routes to School and why we are nationally recognized as a Bronze Bicycle Friendly Community from the League of American Bicyclists, as well as recognized by the World Health Organization as an Age-Friendly Community. The City of Gilroy is a Complete Streets and Recreation Destination community by resolution. 

My office sponsored, tabled, hosted a booth, and attended more than 100 community events in 2025. We provided free resources, bike lights, bike helmets, and listened to constituents at events including Pride Festival, Cinco de Mile, La Ofrenda Festival, Free Bike Repair and Bike Days, and School Family Resource Fairs. 

Each year the Mayor assigns Council Members to represent the City Council on regional and local committees. For 2026, I was nominated by the Mayor and confirmed by members of the City Council to serve in the expanded role as Vice Mayor. I will serve on the Silicon Valley Clean Energy (SVCE) Authority JPA Board, Valley Transportation Authority (VTA) Policy Advisory Committee (PAC), South County Youth Task Force Policy Team, Association of Bay Area Governments (ABAG) General Assembly, CalTrain Local Policy Maker Group (LPMG) Alternate, and Santa Clara Expressway Plan 2040 Policy Advisory Board (PAB) (Alternate). Appointed to Local Agency Formation Commission (LAFCO) Alternate by the Cities Association of Santa Clara County.

All of these legislative changes will make Gilroy more Livable for All. The path forward is clear to me. It will require everyone’s voices to be heard during public comment and focused work from my student interns. I’ll be here to guide you through it. From my office and family, I wish you all a happy and healthy new year.

Caltrain South County Connector (Part 3)

I’ve seen the November South County Connector ridership numbers (Monday-Friday 4 Trains North in morning and 4 Trains South in evening) Gilroy 133 riders/day, San Martin 34 riders/day, Morgan Hill 136 riders/day, Blossom Hill 76 riders/day, Capitol 49 riders/day. It's not fiscally responsible to fund Caltrain South County Connector at $15 million for 428 riders/day M-F when they aren’t serving the current commute travel patterns and while VTA is facing a fiscally constrained FY26 and FY27 Transit Operating Budget. Caltrain is heading into a deficit for FY27 too. These five stations south of Tamien are not electrified and Caltrain doesn’t own the tracks, Union Pacific Railroad does. South County Caltrain service doesn’t have the impact needed to relieve congestion on U.S. Route 101 today or historically. 

-Gilroy Dispatch OpEd August 14, 2025 

-Full Letter to VTA and Caltrain Board August

-Full Letter to VTA and Caltrain Board December

-Full Letter to VTA and Caltrain Board January

Although VTA Staff has stated they will not cut frequent/daily Gilroy VTA bus service in order to keep Caltrain service, I remain concerned that Caltrain Staff will still try and pursue this option. All while VTA is facing a fiscally constrained FY26 and FY27 Transit Operating Budget and Caltrain is heading into a deficit for FY27 too. The demographic of riders I am currently hearing from that use VTA vs South County Caltrain are contrasted between those whose incomes need frequent/daily public transportation on VTA for their jobs, groceries, healthcare, and aging in place, may be sacrificed for those with significantly more means that are attending private prep-schools and commuting an average of 3 days a week on Caltrain.

We continue to talk about this at our South County VTA agenda preparation meetings with VTA staff and Caltrain staff. Caltrain and VTA aren’t focused just on Gilroy and Morgan Hill. We are focused on moving the most people on mass transit from Gilroy to Diridon. We track and budget the ridership/cost from both agencies and have been comparing them for a long time. When ridership is low, services get cut, that’s a given. 

Seated capacity for each of the 4 diesel trains that make up the South County Connector as configured currently (3 cars, including 1 bike car) is 394-415, with space for 24 bikes. Each car has between 114 and 144 seated capacities and the standing room capacity ranges from 472-498. Total max seated capacity of the South County Connector service is 1,660. Standing room max capacity 1,992. Caltrain FY26 cost of South County Connector from a calculation in April is $14,451,619. More trains or increased frequency will increase that cost. That's not worth it for the current or future budget cycle. Caltrain operations should not be funded from VTA Transit funds, 2000 Measure A funds, or 2016 Measure B Caltrain Corridor Capacity. There are no grants that would be beneficial in funding this current level of service and ridership. Caltrain is currently using Federal funds to operate the South County Connector and that is about to run out. 

Gilroy isn’t the starting point for traffic any longer. San Benito County and Monterey County drivers contribute to it as well. In 2023 Caltrans Average Annual Daily Traffic (AADT) at Cochrane in Morgan Hill was 142,000 vehicles per day and in 2019 Caltrans Average Annual Daily Traffic (AADT) at Cochrane in Morgan Hill was 148,000 vehicles per day.

Per the 1996 Restated Joint Powers Agreement (JPA Sections A and B) make VTA “responsible for all net operating costs of the Gilroy service” and “obtaining all Gilroy Service capital projects”. It does not obligate Caltrain or VTA to operate service to Gilroy, though it assumed there would always be a market. 

The State provided funding for one battery powered train (not four) which will serve as a pilot and it is supposed to run on the electrified system from Diridon to SF. The last update I received is this is not going to happen in FY26 or FY27. 

VTA, Caltrain, and South County communities do minimal to increase Caltrain South County Connector ridership, so the expectation that ridership on Caltrain will increase is not a reality today. It's not fiscally responsible to fund $15 million for 428 riders/day M-F. 

I am proud to represent Gilroy on the Valley Transportation Authority (VTA) Policy Advisory Committee (PAC) and CalTrain Local Policy Maker Group (LPMG) Alternate in 2026.

La Ofrenda Festival

Nestled in the heart of Downtown Gilroy, the La Ofrenda Festival | Gilroy’s third annual Día de Muertos Festival & Wellness Fair on November 1st 1-7pm will be an extraordinary event and is more than just a day of festivities; it’s an immersive experience that embraces the essence of Día de Muertos – a time when families come together to honor their departed loved ones and celebrate the eternal bond between the living and the deceased. With vibrant ofrendas (altars) adorned with marigold flowers, moving performances, a community bike ride, and a variety of talented artists, our festival promises an unforgettable experience that will leave a lasting impression on the South County community and beyond. La Ofrenda Festival is made possible with a Gilroy Elevate the Arts Grant, a program of SVCreates, with support from the David and Lucile Packard Foundation, City of Gilroy, County of Santa Clara and fiscally sponsored by Local Color, 501c3. https://www.laofrendafestival.com

This is the best team that I’ve been on and built up by my friend Rubén Darío Villa. We are all unique creatives, festival leads, and high level leaders in our own spaces. The success of this team is that we all gave something into the La Ofrenda Festival & Wellness Fair and expected nothing in return but success of each other and the festival. My dreams for a bike/ped/walk/transit oriented festival have come true with the creation of Cycle, Health, and Transit Plaza. Thank you to all the volunteers, sponsors, and organizations that made it come true.

Gilroy’s La Ofrenda Festival is bringing together a cross section of sponsorships and partnerships from government, education, health, private sector, arts, transportation, culture, non-profits, labor workforce and more. I would like to personally invite you to join us, and travel to the festival by bike, bus, walk, or drive. The Arts are alive in Gilroy. In 2021, I was contacted by SV Creates (Santa Clara County Arts Council) to build a relationship that wasn’t here prior in Gilroy. From those first initial meetings blossomed into an Arts Círculo held at 6th St Art Studios and around the corner at the Neon Exchange. Today we have a monthly Arts Roundtable, Third Friday Art Walk, Chalk Fest, La Ofrenda Festival, La Casa de Cultura y Arte, and doors continue to open. 

La Ofrenda Festival will have many experiences for you including a Community Bike Ride, Free Bike Parking, Helmet Fittings, Bike Repair, Bike Education, Wellness Vendors, and a Transit & Mobility Plaza that features a VTA bus. This year’s presenting partner, Silicon Valley Clean Energy (SVCE), will be bringing their Dream Home mobile demonstration, where community members can learn about and interact with electric equipment and appliances. 

We are actively advancing ideas and projects that promote the concept of free-range people in the City of Gilroy. We advocate for building and planning that considers future generations as well as current residents who don’t own cars. Advancing mobility options reflects what we are teaching the youth in our community through Safe Routes to School and why we are nationally recognized as a Bronze Bicycle Friendly Community from the League of American Bicyclists, as well as recognized by the World Health Organization as an Age-Friendly Community. The City of Gilroy is a Complete Streets and Recreation Destination community by resolution.

The City of Gilroy celebrates the role that the arts and creativity play in helping us navigate a pandemic, amplify the need for racial equity, and highlight the power of the arts to change our lives for the better. The Gilroy Arts & Culture Commission and SV Creates work in partnership to support the arts and creativity in Gilroy as an essential part of our thriving community. SV Creates partners locally with the Gilroy Arts & Culture Commission and Gilroy Arts Roundtable to include the City of Gilroy with a network of leaders who care about the resilience of our arts ecosystem and its impact to our community. They are conveners, promoters, incubators, and funders of the arts with a mission to elevate Silicon Valley’s creative culture. The City of Gilroy recognizes that the arts and creativity support student success and life-long learning, provide key job skills, and bring joy to our community while strengthening our connections; and values partnering with SV Creates and State-level organizations to promote unified support for the arts.