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From:Gannon Janisch
To:Public Comments
Subject:EXTERNAL -
Date:Monday, June 2, 2025 11:13:40 AM
Dear Mayor Bozzo and Council Members,
My name is Gannon Janisch. I am a lifelong resident of Gilroy and a proud
product of what was once our city’s Recreation Department—now diminished to
a division.
I began as a child taking swim lessons and participating in local programs. As I
grew, I gave back—volunteering with senior services and adaptive programs,
eventually earning a paycheck to serve in the very same initiatives that helped
shape me. I am not alone. Countless other residents carry the same lived
experience and love for a department that has quietly nurtured generations of
Gilroy youth, families, and seniors.
That’s why I write to you with urgency, frustration, and hope. The proposed
removal of over $400,000 from the Recreation Division’s budget is not just a line
item—it’s a devastating blow to a department that is already under-resourced and
stretched beyond capacity.
How is it justifiable to deny a request for three additional staff members—a
request that did not ask for increased funding—and simultaneously threaten to
pull $400,000 from a five-person team soon to become four? How can a skeleton
crew rebuild pre-COVID programming, reclaim the Aquatics Center, or expand
community outreach without the manpower to do so?
Let me be blunt—this feels like punishment, not policy. The division is being set
up to fail, and then blamed for the very limitations it has no control over.
To those who suggest shifting funds to other departments like Code Enforcement
or Public Safety: I urge you to reconsider. Protecting Recreation is not an act of
being anti-safety or anti-economic development—it is a declaration that Gilroy
believes in prevention, inclusion, and long-term community strength. A vibrant
recreation program is public safety. It keeps youth engaged, teaches leadership,
builds confidence, creates connections across neighborhoods, and fosters pride in
our city.
What kind of city do we want to be? A spotless city with nothing to offer its
families? A well-policed town with no safe space for children to grow, learn, and
dream?
I am pleading with you—not just as a resident, but as someone who lived the
good that comes from a supported Recreation Division. Please do not strip
$400,000 from the FY26 budget. Please invest in the people who have invested in
Gilroy—its youth, its seniors, its families. This is not just funding. This is
identity. This is impact. This is the soul of our city.
You are not just leaders—you are parents, grandparents, former teachers, and
Youth Task Force members. Please, let your vote reflect that. Stand up for
community engagement. Stand up for youth development. Stand up for Gilroy.
With deep respect and unwavering hope… I trust you will make the right decision
Gannon Janisch
Lifelong Gilroy Resident and Recreation Program Alumnus