Photograph by George Sakkestad
Monte Sereno residents usually take their elections in stride, with most hopefuls visiting neighbors and handing out simple brochures. The campaign signs posted all over the city for the upcoming election, however, reflect just how heated the battle over how the city should be run has become.
By Clarence Cromwell
Heritage Preservation Committee member Dodie Tabari joined the Monte Sereno race last week as an official write-in candidate, filing the necessary papers Oct. 22.
Her candidacy is aimed at helping the council keep all three challengers from winning a seat. Joel Gambord, Gordon Knight and Lilian Harman were members of the anti-City Council group Citizens FOR Monte Sereno. The group wanted to reduce the size of city government and lighten regulation of development, among other things.
Before Tabari came along, it appeared inevitable that the group would capture at least one council seat because Council-member Pamela Bancroft decided not to run for re-election, leaving a seat up for grabs. Incumbent Mayor Nancy Hobbs is the only candidate who agrees with the current council on pivotal issues.
Hobbs said Tabari was asked to run much earlier, but she declined.
Hobbs said the entire council prefers the new candidate's views to those of her more extreme challengers.
"We know we can work with her," Hobbs said.
Tabari is endorsed by all five members of the council.
Councilmember Dorothea Bamford praised Tabari for remaining cool at a time when other neighbors were steamed over an unsightly ham radio antenna on Ridgecrest. Tabari drafted an anti-antenna law but never lost her cool, Bamford said.
Tabari said she declined to run earlier because of a busy schedule, but consented after the Oct. 16 candidates forum because council-members and their political allies again began asking her to run.
"I've sort of been drafted to do this," she said.
Tabari said she's lived in Monte Sereno 27 years. She retired from a career in theater and children's television about three years ago, when she left the board of the San Jose Repertory Theatre. She holds a master's degree in theater from the University of Denver.
As a member of the Heritage Preservation Committee, she has supported the City Council's stance on preserving old buildings. She also sides with the current majority in the debate over the size of the city staff; all three challengers allege that Monte Sereno is growing into a bureaucracy, although each of the city's departments consists of one employee. Tabari added that she thinks the city staff is the right size and does a good job of serving residents. Tabari says the group has a vendetta against the city because members resent city scrutiny of their past home-improvement projects.
"They want to be able to do whatever they want," she said.
Tabari believes the town must preserve the atmosphere of Monte Sereno, but keep up with current trends in city management, she said. She also said she'll offer a moderate view of historical preservation and she'll make unbiased and objective decisions on all issues.
It's too late for Tabari's name to appear on the ballot, but those who support her can write her name at the top of their ballot cards in a section provided for write-in candidates.
Tabari said she may walk precincts to meet voters in the days remaining before the election and plans her second coffee gathering soon. The first was sponsored by Bancroft.
This article appeared in the Los Gatos Weekly-Times, October 30, 1996.
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