County Update
With Santa Clara County
Supervisor Mike Wasserman
Supervisor Mike Wasserman was elected to the Santa Clara
County Board of Supervisors in 2010, and re-elected in 2014 and
2018. He represents District 1, which includes Gilroy, San Martin,
Morgan Hill, Los Gatos, Monte Sereno and portions
of San Jose (supervisorwasserman.org).
County Services Available for Gilroy Garlic Festival Shooting Survivors
The recent Gilroy Garlic Festival shooting was a senseless tragedy that has rocked our community and shocked the world. Six-
year-old Stephen Romero, 13-year-old Keyla Salazar and 25-year-old Trevor Irby were killed and 17 others were injured. My
heart goes out to the families affected and I am grateful to all our law enforcement, EMS personnel and brave citizens for their
quick actions. When I visited Valley Medical Center hospital following the shooting, four individuals who suffered gunshot
wounds shared their devastating stories with me. Few of us will ever know the trauma they are suffering, but we can offer our
encouragement and support. I met with dedicated VMC staff who dropped everything and worked long past their shifts ended to
provide world-class care for the victims. Following such a horrifi c event, it is common for people to experience anxiety, sadness,
and fear—counseling is often benefi cial. Anyone can dial 2-1-1 for access to County health and human services such as mental
health counseling. This free, non-emergency, confi dential service operates 24/7.
Affordable Housing
Issue Remains a Priority New Modern Voting
System to Ensure Security
In November 2016, County voters approved a $950
million Affordable Housing Bond to produce new afford-
able housing units and to assist fi rst-time homebuyers.
To date, 1,900 new and rehabilitated apartments have
been built or are approved to be built soon. Much more
is needed. Last August, the Board of Supervisors began
discussing the potential of using County-owned land
to locate new affordable housing. Specifi c sites were
discussed, including vacant land in Gilroy near the Valley
Health Center and Saint Louise Regional Hospital, as well
as near the De Paul Health Center in Morgan Hill. I asked
that we inventory the hundreds of County-owned parcels
throughout all 15 cities. I believe the best approach is to
produce a comprehensive, countywide property inventory
and then prioritize which properties would be best suited
for affordable housing. Voters in 2020 will benefi t from a modern, secure voting
system including new ballot scanners, tabulators and
ADA-compliant ballot-marking devices at Vote Centers.
To ensure voting security, the new Dominion Voting
System model has undergone one of the nation’s most
exhaustive testing and certifi cation programs. Prior to
being certifi ed for use, it received end-to-end testing,
including functional testing, source code review, and
red team security testing with experts trying to “break
in.” The machines are not connected to the Internet and
do not receive or transmit election data electronically
through any type of external communication network.
The new system will enable a decentralized count—
remote tabulation at each Vote Center—which is
expected to expedite Election Night results considerably.
GILROY • MORGAN HILL • SAN MARTIN
FALL/HOLIDAY 2019
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