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Los Gatos is the envy of many Bay Area cities with good reason. It has a charming downtown surrounded by beautiful neighborhoods nestled against the bucolic Santa Cruz Mountains.
The town of 30,500 residents isn’t without its challenges, however, including building affordable housing, helping businesses and restaurants survive the pandemic, growing pension concerns, solving beach traffic that creates traffic nightmares, and guarding against the very real threat of wildfires.
Three seats are open on the Town Council. Five candidates are vying for the two full, four-year positions on the council. Two candidates are running for a two-year term, created when Steve Leonardis vacated his council seat in 2019 to become Monte Sereno’s city manager.
Los Gatos needs experienced leaders to meet its challenges. We recommend voters elect Michael Kane and Matthew Hudes to the four-year seats and Mary Badame for the two-year position.
Four-year seats
Kane and Hudes stand out in a strong field of candidates.
Kane’s eight years as a member of the Planning Commission, eight years on the Historic Preservation Committee and experience on the Hillside and Residential Design committees will serve him well in dealing with Los Gatos’ land-use and housing issues.
Los Gatos has less remaining open space available to build new housing, and residents are known for fiercely protecting their neighborhoods. Kane’s knowledge in both areas would be a plus for the Town Council. So will his business experience as a financial planner as Los Gatos deals with its projected budget deficit due to the pandemic.
Los Gatos’ general plan calls for adding 2,000 housing units, and Kane says that while serving on the Planning Commission he has modified his views and is fully committed to helping the town meet its goal.
Hudes’ thoughtful demeanor would be a welcome addition to the council. He has also served on the Planning Commission and was chair of the North 40 Specific Plan, which dealt with the contentious proposal to build 250 housing units, 50 affordable senior units, retail shops and a market hall on the largest remaining development site in Los Gatos near the intersection of Highway 17 and Lark Avenue.
Hudes is the CEO of bdlBiologx, a company devoted to helping the products of innovative companies reach patients more quickly. He wants to put a focus on the town’s finances. His prior experience of 20 years as a partner at Ernest and Young and Deloitte would help the town deal with its budget and pension concerns. He calls for reallocating $1.9 million from Los Gatos beautification budget to recovery for small businesses as an example of how to help sustain businesses and restaurants.
Two other candidates merit strong consideration. Maria Ristow would bring a collaborative approach to the council and has experience serving on the Transportation and Parking Commission. Heidi Owens, a former chief of staff in Acquisitions at Cisco, is bright and articulate on the issues, but she doesn’t have the experience of either Hudes or Kane. The fifth candidate, Larry Maggio, is likable and passionate about Los Gatos but is unable to articulate solutions to the town’s challenges.
Two-year term
Badame has served on the Planning Commission since 2014 and has been a Los Gatos insurance business owner for 30 years. Her experience dwarfs that of Rob Stephenson, who has lived in the area for four years. Stephenson shows potential, and we would like to see him pick up additional experience and continue his involvement in Los Gatos issues.
Badame has a history of being a strong proponent of preserving Los Gatos’ small-town character. She is also an advocate for building more affordable housing to allow the city’s public safety officers, teachers and essential workers to live in the town. Badame would like to see Los Gatos build housing on top of existing retail businesses.
