by Mike Sanchez

In Gilroy, Mayor Greg Bozzo led a come-from-behind campaign based on improving customer service at city hall, bringing back the beloved Gilroy Garlic Festival, solving the decades-old problem of finding a sustainable way to fund public safety, and in general, cleaning things up. New to politics, Bozzo faced harsh criticism from some who felt he needed to somehow“ earn the right” to be mayor by serving at a lower level of city government first. His victory, close as it was, proved the long outdated thinking of his detractors to be exactly what it was— outdated thinking. The real message of his victory was about change. More residents who voted wanted change at the city government level. And while his work may be cut out for him, Greg is a“ roll your sleeves up” kind of leader who brings decades of business management and practical knowledge to the table. Gilroy is in good hands.

Morgan Hill Mayor Mark Turner won a decisive re-election which could be considered a mandate to stay the course and continue to drive the issues he ran on during his first campaign a mere two years ago. Like Bozzo in this election, Turner ran for mayor in 2022 with no prior experience in local politics. Yet, his first term was remarkable in the amount of issues he was able to champion, the positive impact on Morgan Hill’ s community spirit, and the tireless service he gave to the community through public appearances, building alliances, and representing Morgan Hill on regional and state issues. As he sets his sights on the next two years, his vision is clear and his focus is sharp— make Morgan Hill the best it can be.

In conversations with both mayors over several years, I have come to know both men to be honest, straight shooters, accountable, and transparent leaders. While I may not agree with one or the other— or either— on some things, I do agree with them on several others, including this: our communities are not built by one person. Both Gilroy and Morgan Hill benefit from incredible people working tirelessly to make things better for all residents. Bozzo and Turner will be counting on the good people of their respective towns to continue to play a vital role in building even stronger communities, and by extension, moving the South County forward.

I recently caught up with both mayors to discuss their election victories, their priorities and goals for their communities as we head into 2025. I was especially interested in the opportunities they see and the vision they have to make their communities Of no suprise to me was their respect for the people they serve.

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Gilroy Mayor Greg Bozzo

gmhTODAY: First of all, congratulations on your victory. You won by a narrow margin in a tight race. To what do you ascribe your win?

Greg Bozzo: Well, I always knew if it would be a close race. I believe that I won because people want change. I know that ' s an age-old saying in politics, but it applies here in Gilroy. People wanted change and that ' s probably why there ' s two out of three new council members, and that ' s why there ' s a new mayor.

gmhTODAY: You ran on improving the customer experience at City Hall. Why is that an important issue for you?

Greg Bozzo: It starts at City Hall. Our city government is something that we should be able to rely on to facilitate the things we want or need them to, and to participate with the community with a solutions-based approach. I do believe that there ' s a disconnect between our community and City Hall. From our local nonprofit organizations to small business owners to citizens— I ' m fairly certain that there ' s not a lot of disagreement about that.

We need to start at City Hall because, as citizens, we do all this great work in our community as individuals and groups, and we’ re all working to build a stronger and better community for all our residents. There are a lot of great and dedicated people at City Hall working hard to serve the community. We have a long history at City Hall of collaboration with the community to get things done. We need to get back to that. I am hopeful that I can help form new relationships and establish new ones between City Hall and small business owners, property owners, investors, nonprofit organizations, and residents to make our community stronger and better for everyone.

gmhTODAY: One of the pillars of your campaign was to bring back the Gilroy Garlic Festival. Why do you feel the Festival is important to our community?

Greg Bozzo: Like many people in this community, I ' ve been a long-time participant and volunteer at the Gilroy Garlic Festival. The Festival is important for so many reasons. It was the largest fundraising mechanism for local nonprofit groups in our community for 40 years. It also boosted our local economy and tourism through increases in hotel, restaurant, and retail activity. It helped to connect people and organizations who worked side by side at the Festival for years, which led to more community volunteerism, and built lifelong relationships. It gave us a strong sense of identity and community pride. For these reasons, I believe the Festival is crucial to our community, and I will be focusing on bringing it back.

WINTER 2025 gmhTODAY Magazine: Go. Make history... gmhtoday. com