HomeMy WebLinkAbout06 15 2026 - Item 13.1 - Jose Cedano1
Stefan Mercer
From:Jose Cedano <josejoelcedano@yahoo.com>
Sent:Monday, June 15, 2026 4:40 PM
To:Public Comments
Subject:EXTERNAL - AFSCME Negotiations
Hello,
My name is Jose Cedano III. I have been a Gilroy Community member all my life and have worked in the
Public Works Engineering Division for 5 years. I have project managed public improvements associated
with land development projects during planning applications, through design applications and finally to
end of their respective construction phases. I am apart of the team responsible for making sure that new
public improvements (i.e. roads, sidewalks, utilities, etc.) are designed and constructed safely in
accordance with curent standards.
I strongly urge the Council to take into consideration the drastic rise in cost of living in this county as we
continue through the current negotiation period. With an area median income of $205,500, many
AFSCME members earn incomes that qualify them as low-income.
I also ask Council to evaluate how many employees in this bargaining unit are partially or fully funded by
non- General Fund funds. This is an important distinguishing factor that should be taken into
consideration when evaluating the actual burden of COLAs and health care costs to the General Fund.
The proposed 2.5% COLA increase does not allow City employees' income to keep up with the rising cost
of housing, food, gas, transportation, health care, and other everyday expenses we are facing. We
continue to provide valuable services to our community and we deserve for the value of our
compensation to reflect the current cost of living.
Thank you for your time and consideration,
Jose Cedano III
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