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Editorial
To get the best officials, ask the hard questions
This year's town council election will be one of the most important in years.
The forces of growth and preservation are on a collision course in Los Gatos. Unprecedented prosperity is forcing the community to make hard decisions about property rights versus neighborhood compatibility. High costs and rising commercial rents are forcing changes in attitudes about chain stores downtown.
While the West Valley is seen more and more as a bedroom community for high-tech executives, Los Gatans need to seriously address the issue of affordable housing. Unless an acceptable way is found to make it possible for people who aren't rich to live here, the economic diversity that has long been a strength of this community will become nothing more than a memory.
There is pressure to make the planning process easier--but will that make it easier and less costly for working class people to make minor improvements in their aging homes, or will it simply facilitate bigger, uglier houses that don't suit their neighborhoods?
The competing pressures on the community are going to force change--one way or the other.
While "town character" is bound to be an oft-repeated phrase during this election, voters must be vigilant about being lulled by cozy catchphrases. Who wouldn't like to preserve what's here? The fact is, though, nothing stays the same, Los Gatos included. The trick is to make the right decisions so that change is acceptable and that what's preserved are those elements of the community that truly give it its character.
This year, Los Gatans can chose among a field of solid candidates. All four have been active in the community for a number of years, and there's no question that each would bring experience and commitment to the council.
Mike Abkin and Sandy Decker both have served on the planning commission, while Steve Glickman is an experienced school board member. Paul Dubois chairs the community services commission and is also chairman of the nonprofit Los Gatos Community Foundation.
So how do Los Gatans decide who's the best among four worthy candidates? Ask hard questions. The candidates will have to convince the electorate not that they are committed to the community, but that they have the best solutions to the very big problems facing Los Gatos.
With no incumbents in the race, the election will put two new members on the council. Those two members could make a dramatic difference in the makeup of the council.
Let's hope there will be numerous opportunities for candidates to talk about the hard problems, and how they would address them. With four candidates who truly care about the community, we might even be so bold as to hope that campaign literature will stick to the issues.
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Los Gatos, California Since 1881
