Incumbent Scotts Valley City Councilmember Greg Wimp, left, faces challengers in Michael Zeller, center, and Danny Reber. (Amaya Edwards — Santa Cruz Local/CatchLight Local file)

SCOTTS VALLEY >> Incumbent Greg Wimp and challenger Michael Zeller led a race for two seats on the Scotts Valley City Council in early election results posted 8:15 p.m. Tuesday. Candidate Danny Reber trailed. 

Vote tallies will continue to be updated throughout the night and in the coming days. Final election results must be certified by Dec. 3. 

The Scotts Valley City Council is a five-member elected body that creates city laws, sets the city’s budget and oversees city functions including police, fire and parks. 

Santa Cruz Local surveyed and interviewed dozens of Scotts Valley voters this summer about their top priorities. Concern about large developments was a common theme.

The three candidates shared similar frustrations with state housing mandates that remove local control. All acknowledged the need for affordable housing, but differed in their approach:

• Wimp said he would look to state and federal funding to reestablish a first-time homebuyer program in Scotts Valley. 
• Zeller said the city should leverage incentives, such as special financing for developers that can only be attained in partnership with a city, to push construction of housing that local residents actually want.
• Reber told Santa Cruz Local the solution could lie in working with the state, including to incentivize developers to build affordable homes for sale. 

Scotts Valley Water District

Incumbent Ruth Stiles led a field of four candidates for three seats on the Scotts Valley Water District Board of Directors in early results posted 8:15 p.m. Tuesday. 

Stiles garnered more than a third of votes and candidate Brody Knutson was not far behind. Bill Jager had 19.0% and Brian Youmans trailed with 17.5% of the vote. 

The Scotts Valley Water District board has five members. It sets the budget and hires and fires the general manager. It can also propose water rate increases and make decisions on potential mergers and major construction projects. 

Stiles has served on the board for 10 years. In a questionnaire for Santa Cruz Local, Stiles wrote her top priority was sustainability.

“In a changing world with a growing population, we need to know how we will meet the future demand for water,” Stiles wrote.

She plans to focus on maintaining or growing the water supply, and the new intertie pipeline with the City of Santa Cruz is a key part.

Knutson has worked in the district for more than a decade and is a first-time political candidate. Youmans has experience in local political groups and unions, and is a first-time candidate. 

Measure G hotel tax hike

Early vote tallies showed strong support for Scotts Valley’s Measure G.

Measure G asked voters to raise the transient occupancy tax, charged on hotel stays, to 13% from 11%. The tax does not apply to stays 30 days or longer. It would raise an estimated $300,000 annually.

Measure G funds could be used for any city purpose, including salaries, debt payments, roads and parks. 

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