GILROYAfter three weeks of poll counting in a decent race towards incumbent Mayor Marie Blankley, Greg Bozzo has declared victory in his bid to guide Gilroy.
The declaration comes after an exceedingly slender race the place Blankley initially led by a decent margin — at one time by as little as 12 votes — earlier than Bozzo pulled forward to a gradual, if slender, lead. Wednesday morning counts put his lead at 210 votes, with an estimated 2500 left to depend in all of Santa Clara County.
“When you look at the collective experiences of the people of Gilroy, we are capable of finally fixing our problems that have dogged us for years, and I believe in that now more than ever,” stated Bozzo.
The Gilroy mayoral race pitted incumbent Blankley, who ran on her six years of expertise as a metropolis councilmember and mayor and her know-how as an accountant, towards panorama contractor Bozzo. Bozzo leveled criticisms on the present metropolis authorities, arguing for extra collaboration between officers and the populace.
Bozzo holds that the outcomes are proof that Gilroy residents need change. Of the 4 incumbents operating in Gilroy this 12 months — Blankley and three metropolis councilmembers — just one councilmember, Zach Hilton, held on to his seat, in keeping with present outcomes.
“Gilroy has so much more potential than it’s living up to right now, and that’s why (Gilroy residents) are voting for change,” stated Bozzo.
Bozzo stated his first precedence upon getting into workplace can be to enhance customer support in Metropolis Corridor and “review and renew” the objectives of Gilroy in collaboration with residents and town council. He stated he may also prioritize options for housing, financial growth, and bringing again a “reimagined” Garlic Pageant. Whereas the Garlic Pageant isn’t run by town of Gilroy, Bozzo has argued that town can play a job in easing its return.
Blankley didn’t instantly reply to request for remark.
In a dialog early this month, nonetheless, Blankley pointed to adverse advert campaigns to elucidate the tight margin. She received her 2018 metropolis council election by hundreds of votes, and received her mayoral seat in 2020 with over twice as many votes as her opponent.
This election cycle has seen a flurry of adverse adverts and mailers, a lot of which have been sponsored by Constructing Tomorrow, a committee related to developer Ten South, which is presently suing town over a Builder’s Treatment undertaking. In keeping with the newest filings, Constructing Tomorrow spent $51,750 in opposition to Blankley and $11,500 in assist of Bozzo.
