The Council of San Benito County Governments on Thursday
unanimously appointed Hollister Mayor Victor Gomez as the
multi-agency board’s chairman for the year.
The Council of San Benito County Governments on Thursday unanimously appointed Hollister Mayor Victor Gomez as the multi-agency board’s chairman for the year.
Gomez is in his second year on the council and COG. Hollister’s council appoints two members to the board, as does the San Benito County Board of Supervisors, while the San Juan council appoints one member.
Gomez succeeds Supervisor Anthony Botelho as the chairman overseeing meetings of the local transportation authority, which handles transit and highway matters in San Benito County.
Gomez said he is “very happy” COG members chose him as chairman and he acknowledged how he is relatively new to politics.
“I think I’ve shown a history of being a pretty firm leader, and having support from them, it means a lot,” Gomez said.
He said he expects “nothing less than what we did last year” and he commended the COG staff, led by Executive Director Lisa Rheinheimer, for moving projects forward.
In 2009, COG oversaw the completion of the Highway 25 bypass, which recently won a regional award as a project of the year.
For 2010, Gomez pointed two major projects on COG’s plate – the Highway 25 improvement work and the Highway 156 expansion. COG officials also are continuing talks with Santa Clara County officials on the Highway 152 realignment and how to fund the project, estimates of which show it could cost up to $284 million.
