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The winner of this race may be the first Hollister mayor to serve a four-year term—if voters pass a referendum that will be decided in this year’s election. Measure W, placed on the ballot by the city council in a November 2023 vote, doubles the mayor’s term in office, and would take effect immediately.
Mia Casey (63) has lived in the Hollister area for more than 15 years. She was a retired non-profit executive and graphic artist before taking office as mayor in 2022. She abstained from the vote that placed the term-limit referendum on the ballot.
Why are you running for office?
It has been my honor to serve as Mayor these past 18 months. It is one of the most challenging and rewarding experiences I have ever had! There are a number of initiatives underway that I’d like to complete, including advocating with state legislators to get our housing numbers reduced; working to build a new community center; and efforts to upgrade and revitalize downtown. I am seeking reelection to continue this work and get projects across the finish line!
Which issues are most important to the city of Hollister and how do you intend to handle them, if elected?
I championed a strategic planning workshop that helped City Council establish Hollister’s top four goals: 1) Roads & Infrastructure; 2) Economic Development; 3) Communication & Transparency; and 4) Quality of Life & Safety. These priorities guide our work and budget process. Council has focused on roads with a large Capital Roads Project underway now, upgrading 40 roads and 3 of our oldest alleys. We made major investments to sewer infrastructure, replacing 2 large bioreactors, and purchasing a sewer camera truck for line inspection. We have gone after major grant funding to continue infrastructure work, such as replacing old water mains downtown. Economic Development is also a top priority and council approved an Economic Development Director position to lead efforts in bringing industry and new jobs to Hollister.
There is a pattern of uncivil behavior at City Council meetings that has resulted in one member being censured a number of times, and sharp criticism from the San Benito County Civil Grand Jury. As the presiding member of the council, how would you address this?
It is unfortunate that political incidents created by one councilmember at meetings garnered so much media attention, because it overshadowed the good work the city council has actually done. We passed a major roads package and made major investments into infrastructure and airport expansion, which is the number one thing this community wants. We upgraded a number of parks, improved safety by installing cameras at parks and a gunshot detection system; we hired 5 new firefighters and 6 police officers.
All of these things have improved our quality of life. I want to clarify this council isn’t dysfunctional as a whole; the Grand Jury report highlights how one councilmember has been censured multiple times. This is due to his uncivil behavior. Meetings are guided by a Council Code of Conduct that we all signed and agreed to, and we follow Rosenberg’s Rules of Order in conducting meetings. This councilperson has simply refused to comply and conduct himself in a professional manner. His problematic behavior has been happening since he was elected years ago. Previous council had also censured him, and there was a required mediation with councilmembers at that time which was unsuccessful.
I’ve approached this issue patiently, balancing free speech with adherence to council rules. I expect the same professional behavior from all councilmembers. Initially, I addressed the first incident with him informally, pointing out violations and disruptive behavior and asking for cooperation, however he indicated he would not comply and threatened me, stating if I wanted a circus, he would show me a circus. It was shortly after this the Hollister Guardians were organized and brought in to stage protests, disrupt meetings and support him, often parroting his false accusations. This group even sent mailers to the entire county repeating those false accusations, in an effort to attack and undermine the council. These were fact-checked and debunked by Benitolink.
When disruptions escalated, council strengthened our code of conduct with stiffer penalties. Once again, he agreed and signed, but has continued to violate the code. His actions have gone beyond just disruption, they include repeated Brown Act violations, revealing confidential information from closed sessions, and harassing and physically intimidating a female councilmember. While options are limited due to his status as an elected official, he is being required to undergo harassment training. People have asked why the council does not just remove him. The councilmember was elected by the people of his district, and they are the only ones with the power to remove him through a recall.
Do you support California Attorney General Rob Bonta’s call to comply with Hollister’s Regional Housing Needs Allocation? If so, what is your plan? If not, what is your position on this issue?
Hollister faces significant infrastructure and traffic challenges, and the push for housing strains our community. Hollister’s RHNA housing numbers are much larger compared to nearby cities like Morgan Hill and Gilroy. I am already working on a plan, which is in process, to work directly with state legislators to fight for Hollister.
I’ve been advocating with Speaker Rivas requesting a review and reduction of our RHNA allocation to give us some breathing room and help slow down housing. I am also partnering with the Chair of the Board of Supervisors and other local leaders to advocate together around housing and other critical issues for our community with both state and federal officials.
We currently have several candidates running using ‘slow the growth’ slogans–so far, not a single one has shown how they plan to slow housing growth without violating state housing laws. Platitudes are great, but what is their plan?
The Attorney General did not just call for compliance on RHNA, but all the housing laws. It emphasizes the need for compliance with state law; cities that violate these laws are facing severe consequences, as seen recently with Elk Grove’s costly legal issues.
As stated, I have been advocating with our state and federal officials for support, and am collaborating with local leaders to partner and fight together for our community. If we have to build housing, we need to focus on projects that make sense, smaller infill projects and affordable multi-family units and rentals, rather than just large single-family homes.
A majority of Hollister residents commute, and spend too much time stuck in traffic. What ideas do you have to help fix our transit issues?
There are several things that can help commuter traffic congestion and which are being worked on. 1) To permanently resolve the situation we need strong economic development. I am focused on bringing new industry in key areas to create good-paying jobs so people can live, work, and play in Hollister; 2) I sit on the Council of Governments (COG) board that works with CalTrans on the Highway 25 Project. The project had been stalled since 2020, but the current board has the project moving forward again; and 3) other public transportation options are under review, including a pilot commuter bus that would stop at the Gilroy Transit Center and points further north up into the Bay Area. It would have internet/wifi service so people can do email, work or watch a movie while commuting.
What effects would Measure A, if it passes, have on the city of Hollister?
Measure A is really concerning. It is a rehash of Measure Q from the 2022 election, which was soundly rejected by voters. It is being pushed by the same group and despite this labeled “Empower the Voters,” the group has disregarded the will of voters who made it clear in 2022 they did not want this initiative. Once again, very misleading claims are being made that Measure A will halt housing development–even though the exemptions section of the measure clearly states it cannot override state housing laws.
Measure A poses significant financial harm to our county. Requiring businesses that want to come here to go through an application process, an expensive EIR process, and then have to spend $100,000 or more on an uncertain election outcome–what business would go through that? These companies will simply go to more business-friendly communities. So to recap, Measure A will kill business growth, but will not slow housing growth. It will negatively impact revenue generation that funds public safety, roads and infrastructure, and stifle job creation.
Roxanne Gonzalez Stephens (62) has lived in Hollister for 22 years. A social worker and independent consultant, she has not held an elected office previously.
Why are you running for office?
Our current city leaders continue to ignore the public’s call for slowing the growth and repairing roads. Instead, they’ve made it easier for developers to build thousands of additional houses, adding more and more cars to our roads. Families are driving on crumbling roads and spending endless hours sitting traffic. I have experienced firsthand how the poor decisions around growth have negatively impacted all of our lives. We deserve better!
I will keep our city focused on what’s most important: slowing the growth and improving roads. I will use my 30 years of experience working with families and communities to solve problems. As mayor, I will take the time to listen, be accessible, be open and honest, and work with our community to create a better quality of life for all of us.
Which issues are most important to the city of Hollister and how do you intend to handle them, if elected?
The most important issues affecting our city is out of control growth, failing roads, and lack of economic opportunity. My priority will be shifting our focus away from building more houses and towards improving our roads and economic growth. I will focus on creating an economic development plan that brings much needed business and jobs, by promoting retail, commercial, and industrial opportunities.
There is a pattern of uncivil behavior at City Council meetings that has resulted in one member being censured a number of times, and sharp criticism from the San Benito County Civil Grand Jury. As the presiding member of the council, how would you address this?
It is ultimately the responsibility of the mayor to ensure the City Council, and the public maintain civility during meetings. This requires leadership that is honest, transparent and promotes open dialog, in which every councilperson’s and every citizen’s opinion is valued and heard. The right to free speech should always be respected, even if we do not agree. Unfortunately, this does not describe our current city leader.
In both my work and as Planning Commission Chair, I have a proven track record of successfully leading diverse groups, who are in direct conflict with each other. I’ve led them through very difficult and tense discussions, while maintaining civility and respect among those involved. I will do the same for Hollister’s City Council.
Do you support California Attorney General Rob Bonta’s call to comply with Hollister’s Regional Housing Needs Allocation? If so, what is your plan? If not, what is your position on this issue?
Our current mayor and city council have put out a false narrative that we have to continue building thousands of new houses in order to meet state requirements. The truth is Hollister has complied with and surpassed all State mandates, which is why San Benito County is the fastest growing county in the state.
Additionally, if our state wants to force us to build more houses, they must also provide the funding to strengthen our infrastructure. We need leaders who will not blindly follow any state requests, but who will stand strong and push back when state mandates are unreasonable. I am that leader and will stand up for Hollister.
A majority of Hollister residents commute, and spend too much time stuck in traffic. What ideas do you have to help fix our transit issues?
Our current city leaders lost focus and dropped the ball on the plan to expand Highway 25. Because of this, the cost of this expansion has more than tripled. And, at a recent city council meeting, it was disclosed that there is not enough funding to proceed with the widening of Highway 25. Despite this, our current city leader continues to deceive the public that progress on 25 is being made. City leaders should be honest and transparent. The public deserves the truth!
What effects would Measure A, if it passes, have on the city of Hollister?
The effect will be to shift critical decision-making power away from a few and give it back to the people, where it belongs. Residents of Hollister have overwhelmingly disagreed with the decisions made by elected leaders about growth, and our leaders continue to ignore their pleas to slow down the growth. This initiative gives the power back to the people so they can decide on future of our county. And most importantly, it will require developers to propose only those projects that county residents want and that truly benefit our community.
Editor’s Note: On Sept. 28 both candidates attended BenitoLink’s election forum. See video of mayoral race panel here.
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