By Brian Dinh

On November 3rd, Milpitas residents will have the chance to vote in the municipal election. Citizens will decide on the mayor, who serves for two years, and two City Council seats, which will be held for four years.

The officials elected will make decisions that impact local life, such as the operation of schools, the city’s cleanliness, and public safety. The following takes a look at each candidate and his or her views on housing, the city budget, and community development.

Mayor

Rich Tran

Rich Tran, the incumbent mayor of Milpitas, is running for a third term. Tran is also a member of the National Guard and liaison of the Veterans Commission.

Housing

“When it comes to [the] affordable housing ordinance [that requires developers to provide affordable housing in 15 percent of the total dwelling units within new residential development projects], which I’m fortunate enough to have been in office to vote yes on, I was very disappointed when I saw there were other elected officials that voted in favor of the in-lieu fees [that allow developers to pay a housing trust fund instead of providing affordable housing],” Tran said at the virtual Milpitas Votes City Council & Mayoral Forum. “There is absolutely not enough money to build affordable housing [with the in-lieu fees],” he added.

Budget Allocation

At the mayoral candidate forum, Tran said he supports Measure F, which would enact a temporary ¼ cent local sales tax to save government employees and local services. Tran added there would be budget cuts due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Community Development

Tran said in an interview with The Milpitas Beat he anticipates Main Street being redeveloped once the zoning ordinance, which determines how land is used and divided in Milpitas, is changed in December 2020. The redevelopment will help fuel growth and add more commercial spaces to Milpitas, Tran also said.

Voltaire Montemayor

Voltaire Montemayor is a retired geologist, member of the Balungao Association of America, and part of the Board of the Sunnyhills Neighborhood Association, according to one of the candidate’s advertisements. He is motivated to fight the COVID-19 pandemic and help local businesses and families recover, Montemayor added.

Housing

Milpitas should have passed rent control, Montemayor said at the mayoral candidate forum. Furthermore, Montemayor said repealing the option of in-lieu fees as an alternative to the affordable housing ordinance is not enough for Milpitas and that affordable housing needs to be made permanent.

Budget Allocation

In an interview with The Milpitas Beat, Montemayor said he wants to improve the government workforce’s efficiency and that he will furlough employees as needed. Montemayor explained he would create a thorough budgeting plan with the Milpitas Finance Officer and City Manager if elected.

Community Development

Montemayor said he encourages residents to buy locally to help businesses survive during the recession. Montemayor added that he envisions developing Main Street into a popular commercial district, similar to Santana Row in San Jose.

 

City Council

Evelyn Chua

A current member of both the Planning Commision and the Community Advisory Commision, Evelyn Chua wants to create a stronger Milpitas, she wrote on her website. Her initiatives focus on adding more bus routes and providing local businesses with resources to survive the recession, Chua also wrote.

Housing

Chua said at the city council candidate forum that she supports building more accessory dwelling units. Chua added she would protect Measure A funds for Milpitas, which are part of a $950 million affordable housing bond approved in 2016.

Budget Allocation

Chua said she wants Milpitas to measure financial performance by having monthly budget reports and detailed analysis of budget overruns. The government should freeze hiring and limit business travel for its employees, Chua continued.

Community Development

“When elected[,] I will push for a program that provides garbage and recycling services in homeless areas,” Chua wrote on her website. “We need to have a clean city because we will have a better chance of bringing new businesses to Milpitas as our economy recovers. Our residents deserve this.”

Julian Jose Nool Hilario Jr.

Julian Jose Nool Hilario Jr., a longtime Milpitas resident and registered nurse, is running on a policy of improved public safety, affordable housing, and accessible healthcare, Hilario Jr. wrote on his website. He hopes to use experience in the nursing field to improve the wellness of all Milpitas residents, Hilario Jr. continued.

Affordable Housing 

“[Milpitas] needs to limit the amount of fair market apartments for the next eight years,” Hilario Jr. wrote on his campaign website. “Milpitas needs to concentrate on housing projects and developments with 100% affordable housing,” he added.

Budget Allocation

Hilario Jr. said he aims not to lay off government employees or limit public services. The government should reduce discretionary spending and needs to improve its processes, he continued.

Community Development

“I would want to turn the empty lot next to the library into a park,” Hilario Jr. said in an interview with The Milpitas Beat. “We should try to hold more city events on Main Street to encourage Milpitians to visit our current and future restaurants and shops.”

Robert Marini

A former member of the Milpitas Citizens Task Force on Water Rates, Robert Marini is running for City Council again after an unsuccessful attempt in 2018, Marini said in an interview with The Milpitas Beat. Marini’s campaign emphasizes government accountability and the reduction of overdevelopment and traffic, Marini said.

Housing

“The city has to work with the landlords, and we have to work with the tenants,” Marini said at the city council candidate forum. “If the tenants had lived in their housing for a long time, then they should get a better break than someone who came in recently, but it’s no fault of anybody’s that the situation is as bad as it is.”

Budget Allocation

Marini said in an interview with The Milpitas Beat that he would reduce the benefits and salaries of highly-paid employees in the government. Milpitas should only lay off employees after these cuts, he added.

Community Development

Marini said at the city council candidate forum he wants to fix damaged roads. Marini added he would repair broken sidewalks and remove dangerous materials from them.

Bob Nuñez

The current Vice Mayor of Milpitas, Bob Nuñez is running for re-election for a second term on the City Council. Nuñez’s initiatives focus on improving Calaveras Boulevard and traffic flow around the new BART station, Nuñez wrote on his website.

Affordable Housing

In a Milpitas Beat interview, Nuñez said Milpitas could give housing developers options to build affordable housing. Builders also have the option of donating buildable land in Milpitas and buying housing stock, Nuñez added.

Budget Allocation

“I would not reduce [budgets] in the area[s] of public safety, police, fire, 911 dispatch,” Nuñez said. “I would seek a private/public partnership with [Milpitas Unified School District] for their development of their property along the Interstate 880 to provide an income stream to [MUSD] and the City of Milpitas.”

Community Development

“City beautification will continue to receive funding but will need additional support,” Nuñez said.  “Our service clubs, Rotary, Kiwanis and Lions, as well as our scouting programs can be asked for their help in adopting parks.”

Anthony Phan

Anthony Phan is a current member of the City Council and runs a land use consulting firm focused on community development and affordable housing. He is focused on creating a post-COVID-19 recovery plan for Milpitas, helping those who have been affected by the economic recession, Phan wrote on his website.

Housing

Phan wrote he will fight barriers to build more housing. Phan added he supports initiatives to allow more density bonuses, which allow developers to build more housing units in exchange for declaring a certain number of those units as affordable housing.

Budget Allocation

Phan said in an interview with The Milpitas Beat that first responder and public safety services should continue to be funded. Phan also said he projects there will be a $11 million deficit because of the pandemic and encourages citizens to vote for Measure F to combat these losses.

Community Development

“I see potential for Main Street to be revitalized into a vibrant urban center that is pedestrian-oriented and walkable, while embracing distinct cultural elements specific to Milpitas as a community,” Phan said in an interview with The Milpitas Beat. “This unique location should provide residents access to urban open spaces that can be utilized in a multitude of ways by our diverse community organizations to celebrate special occasions and events.”

Suraj Viswanathan

Suraj Viswanahtan is a longtime Milpitas resident, business owner, and chairman of the Bay Area Cricket Alliance. He wants to spend funding on improving public safety and helping local businesses and residents recover from the economic recession, Viswanathan wrote on his website.

Housing

“I propose a complete reform of Milpitas’ existing policies, a top-to-bottom reevaluation of our tax, fee, zoning, and regulatory structures to determine the best way to build housing in a smart, affordable manner,” Viswanathan wrote. “This means working with developers to find new and different models that will permit younger people, working families, and those right out of school to enter the market, potentially with smaller, starter homes.”

Budget Allocation

“We need to get our businesses reopened to stop the revenue loss. That’s really the best and only solution,” Viswanathan said in an interview with The Milpitas Beat. “Other proposals are just band-aids that won’t really solve the problem.”

Community Development

Viswanathan said that community development would be part of an infrastructure plan. The plan would include long-term funding for parks and community centers, Viswanathan continued.

Demetress Morris

Demetress Morris is the Planning Commissioner of Milpitas and a member of the Milpitas Lions Club; she also is involved with the Milpitas Unified School District, Morris said at the city council candidate forum. Morris said she is a write-in candidate and wants to serve on behalf of the older communities in Milpitas.

Housing

Morris said in an interview with The Milpitas Beat that she supports repealing the ordinance that allows developers to pay in-lieu fees instead of providing affordable housing. Morris added she thinks 15% of building costs paid to Milpitas are not enough to pay for the property and materials needed to create affordable housing.

Budget Allocation

Milpitas should reduce the budgets of recreational events and public work maintenance, Morris said in an interview with The Milpitas Beat. Morris added she would freeze government hiring.

Community Development

Morris said helping improve the community’s look would be difficult with funding being reduced during the pandemic. Morris added she would apply for special grants that would help fund Milpitas beautification, such as the Keep America Beautiful Community Restoration and Resiliency Fund.

Tiffany Vuong

Tiffany Vuong is a local renters’ rights advocate and wants to bring the voice of Milpitians to the City Council, Vuong wrote on her website. Vuong’s campaign is focused on creating affordable housing opportunities and protections for renters, Vuong also wrote.

Housing

“Too much luxury housing and commercial development in Milpitas has created an affordable housing emergency,” Vuong wrote on her website. “This has strained our school system, when there are many new students without adequate additional resources, and it has contributed to pricing out our community members. I am committed to housing as a human right.​”

Budget Allocation

Vuong said in an interview with The Milpitas Beat that new hires in the government should be practical and Milpitas should only increase salaries when the cost of living becomes higher. Big corporations like Amazon and Apple should be taxed more, Vuong added.

Community Development

“I would like to replace the weeds that are currently growing in median strips and on the sides of the road with drought-tolerant California native plants that will benefit our local ecosystem,” Vuong said. “In addition, I would like to create more community gardens with hands-on programs that teach children and adults how to grow food for ourselves and for pollinators.”