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From:Jan Bernstein Chargin
To:City Clerk; All Council Members
Subject:EXTERNAL - In favor of redistricting
Date:Monday, March 3, 2025 1:24:34 PM
Dear City Council and Honorable Mayor of the City of Gilroy,
I am writing in support of Item 10.1 on today's City Council agenda. I am grateful and relieved
that the council has made the decision to transition from at-large to district-level elections.
Gilroy has grown considerably over the past few decades and needs a governance structure
that can be responsive to the different needs of different areas of our growing and diverse
community. This approach will give community members a better connection to our
government and the knowledge that there is a council member both familiar with the specific
conditions where they live and an accountability to their neighborhood. This will strengthen
all neighborhoods. It will also make it possible for more people to seek elective office by
reducing the number of potential voters each candidate is seeking to represent. This will
reduce the cost of running for office and preclude the necessity of seeking campaign
contributions from out-of-town donors.
The California Voting Rights Act requires voting districts that are fair, equitable, and
respectful of communities of interest.
As districts are drawn we should consider specific socio-economic factors: specifically
income, but also ratio of renters to homeowners, age of infrastructure, presence of HOAs, and
the geographic boundaries created by major roads and freeways and creeks.
My East side neighborhood, adjacent to Eliot School, is one such community of interest: It is a
predominantly working-class neighborhood of older homes, a high proportion of renters, and
city roads and sidewalks rather than HOAs. We are in walking distance to the bus/train station
and likely to be heavily impacted by high speed rail, if and when it comes through Gilroy. Our
neighborhood includes both immigrants and families that have lived in Gilroy for generations.
Multiple languages are spoken here. It will be important to have a representative on the City
Council who understands this community and its unique needs as part of a strong Gilroy for
the future.
Sincerely,
Jan Bernstein Chargin
7350 Maple Street
(408) 843-8691