Four candidates are vying for two seats on the Capitola City Council in the Nov. 5 election.
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Enrique Dolmo Jr.
Age: 49.
Residence: Near Gayle’s Bakery.
Occupation: Athletic director, campus security and transportation officer at New Brighton Middle School.

Gerry Jensen
Age: 56.
Residence: Near Gayle’s Bakery.
Occupation: Capitola Planning Commissioner, small-business owner, general contractor.

Margaux Morgan (incumbent)
Age: 37.
Residence: Near Gayle’s Bakery.
Occupation: Capitola City Council member, personal trainer and restaurant manager.

Melinda Orbach
Age: 40.
Residence: 38th Avenue.
Occupation: Family nurse practitioner with Palo Alto Medical Foundation.
Do you support passenger rail in Capitola?
Dolmo Jr.: “I’m not 100% on the trail and the rail.” Until a decision is made on the Capitola Trestle, it should be blocked off for safety.
Jensen: “I would support that.” He added, “We need to look at what that cost impact is to the community,” including operations.
Morgan: It’s multifaceted and she wants to see rail options. “If we could get something off the ground that would be beneficial for all, I’m into it.”
Orbach: Supports rail on Segment 10 (from Live Oak to Jade Street Park) and South County Segments 15 to 20. Did not address the trestle.
How can bike safety improve?
Dolmo Jr.: Add bike lanes or bike safety features near New Brighton Middle School and Park Avenue.
Jensen: Consider safety upgrades on Clares Street and Monterey, Capitola and 41st avenues.
Morgan: Narrow some streets, advocate for more conscientious drivers and cyclists.
Orbach: Build Segment 10 of the rail trail, add or improve bike lanes on Wharf Road, Clares Street and 30th Avenue.
Do you support an empty-home tax in Capitola?
Dolmo Jr.: No, but “I’d have to talk to the community and see what the community would really feel about that.”
Jensen: “I wouldn’t support it now without additional information.”
Morgan: “I think with our housing issues, it would be something worth looking into.”
Orbach: “We’ll have to see what the implications are, what it means for the city if we do something like this, and whether we can enforce this.”
Do you support the Capitola sales tax hike, Measure Y?
Dolmo Jr.: Yes.
Jensen: Yes.
Morgan: Yes.
Orbach: Yes.
Enrique Dolmo Jr. | Gerry Jensen | Margaux Morgan | Melinda Orbach | |
---|---|---|---|---|
Do you support passenger rail in Capitola? | “I’m not 100% on the trail and the rail.” Until a decision is made on the Capitola Trestle, it should be blocked off for safety. | “I would support that.” Added, “We need to look at what that cost impact is to the community,” including operations. | Wants to see rail options. “If we could get something off the ground, that would be beneficial for all, I’m into it.” | Supports rail on Segment 10 (from Live Oak to Jade Street Park). Then build South County Segments 15 to 20. |
Do you support an empty-home tax in Capitola? | No, but “I’d have to talk to the community and see what the community would really feel about that.” | “I wouldn’t support it now without additional information.” | “I think with our housing issues, it would be something worth looking into.” | “We’ll have to see what the implications are, what it means for the city if we do something like this, and whether we can enforce this.” |
How can bike safety improve? | Add bike lanes or bike safety features near New Brighton Middle School and Park Avenue. | Consider safety upgrades on Clares Street and Monterey, Capitola and 41st avenues. | Narrow some streets, advocate for more conscientious drivers and cyclists. | Build Segment 10 of the rail trail, add or improve bike lanes on Wharf Road, Clares Street and 30th Avenue. |
Do you support the Capitola sales tax hike, Measure Y? | Yes. | Yes. | Yes. | Yes. |
Santa Cruz Local interviewed and surveyed residents in Capitola this summer about their priorities for city council candidates. The following questions are based on what we heard from voters.
Margaux Morgan has served on the Capitola City Council since 2020. Santa Cruz Local asked her questions about her record as a council member.
- Gerry Jensen — $22,950 total reported contributions for 2024, as of Oct. 19.
- $8,625 (Sept. 22 to Oct. 19, 2024) includes $7,000 in loans from himself.
- $5,925 (July 1 to Sept. 21) includes a $2,500 loan from himself.
- $8,400 (Jan. 1 to June 30) includes a $250 loan from himself.
- Jensen has loaned his campaign $9,750 in total this year.
- Melinda Orbach — $7,499 total reported contributions for 2024, as of Oct. 19.
- $1,645 (Sept. 22 to Oct. 19, 2024)
- $5,854 (July 1 to Sept. 21)
- No contributions reported prior to July 1.
- Margaux Morgan — $1,425 total reported contributions for 2024, as of Oct. 19.
- $0 (Sept. 22 to Oct. 19, 2024)
- $1,425 (July 1 to Sept. 21)
- No contributions reported prior to July 1.
- Enrique Dolmo Jr. — $0 total reported contributions for 2024.
More information about campaign finances in the Nov. 5, 2024 election.
The Capitola City Council is a five-member elected body that creates city laws, sets the city’s budget and oversees city functions.
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.
“The purpose of the city council is to establish local laws, to set policy, to reject or to approve programs, to allocate funds and provide direction, through the city manager, to city staff to implement its policy. The council can also appoint members to various local and regional committees, commissions and other boards,” according to the City of Capitola website.
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 contracts with city employee unions, the police department, planning for growth, and public buildings and parks.