Election Guide, Nov. 8, 2022: Scotts Valley City Council

Meet the candidates

On the Nov. 8 ballot, Scotts Valley residents will vote for two of three candidates. Read Santa Cruz Local’s Election Guide for each candidate:

Santa Cruz Local produced a podcast episode about the Scotts Valley City Council race. The episode has candidate interviews and information about the council role.

Background on the Scotts Valley City Council

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 the Scotts Valley Police and the city’s wastewater facility.

The council has the power to:

• Decide where and how much housing gets built in the city’s General Plan.
• Reject or approve programs.
• Allocate money to projects, departments and programs.
• Hire and fire the city manager.
• Propose taxes.

Qualifications

Desirable qualifications for candidates include:

• A willingness to work with other council members to craft policies.
• An ability to understand complex budgets.
• Broad interests: The council’s oversight includes the city’s wastewater system, contracts with city employee unions, the police department, planning for growth, and public buildings and parks.

Compensation

Council members serve four-year terms and are paid $5,864 per year. Council members are eligible to receive employee health insurance. The city pays a portion of the premiums.

What we heard from voters

In August, Santa Cruz Local talked to 20 Scotts Valley residents in interviews and an online survey. Their most common questions and issues were taken to the candidates.

The top themes raised by Scotts Valley residents were:

• A need for more bike and walk infrastructure.
• A need for affordable child care.
• A desire for more parks and recreation programs.

Read more about what Santa Cruz Local heard from voters.

—Kara Meyberg Guzman