Don Marcus
After being born and raised in a county that has provided a
successful existence for generations of his family, Don Marcus is
ready to make a difference by running for the Board of Supervisors
District 1 seat.
”
I made the decision that I wanted to give the people of San
Benito County a choice for representation,
”
Marcus said.
”
I felt it important because of my heritage.
”
Don Marcus
After being born and raised in a county that has provided a successful existence for generations of his family, Don Marcus is ready to make a difference by running for the Board of Supervisors District 1 seat.
“I made the decision that I wanted to give the people of San Benito County a choice for representation,” Marcus said. “I felt it important because of my heritage.”
Marcus has been involved in such community organizations as the Rotarians, the San Benito County Cattleman’s Association, the Elks and the County Committee for School District Organization.
Over the past 15 years, Marcus has seen the population boom and has become concerned about the direction he sees the county going in, he said.
His goals for the county’s future include forming a comprehensive, combined General Plan with the City of Hollister, focusing more on the county’s infrastructure and water issues, and concentrating more on the youth of the county and what can be provided to them.
“I also want to bring back a feeling of trust for the county government officials in the eyes of the general public,” Marcus said. “I feel that in the past few years the people within the county have started to lose faith in the system.”
A Board of Supervisors that can incorporate proper planning, be willing to listen to the public’s ideas of how to improve the county and be held accountable for all of their decisions is imperative to the future success of the county, he said.
“I believe people look for two things,” he said. “They want leadership that they can trust and they want representation in an honest, forth-right fashion. I can provide that.”
Through campaign contributions and some of his own finances, Marcus has been advertising his candidacy and has received a good response, he said.
“The closer we get to election day the more convinced I am that people really do support me and believe in what we have as our goals for the county,” he said.
One of the biggest concerns he sees the county facing is the over-expanding population within Hollister, and although he’s not a growth advocate, he opposes the growth control initiative, Measure G.
He favors the 1-percent growth cap, but there are too many flaws within the initiative to vote in favor of it, he said.
The rezoning restrictions the measure places on the county, the monetary impact it could have as far as jobs and the county’s tax base is concerned, and the measure’s undermining in upward mobility for local families are major concerns he has with the initiative.
“This initiative has created more animosity and dissension between more people than any other document that I’ve ever seen hit the street,” he said. “I can’t believe in a document that does all these things and doesn’t solve the problem.”
Between his experience, his heritage and commitment to help propel the county into the future are reasons he feels residents will vote for him in the March 2 election, he said.
“I want to work hard to make sure that my children and their children have the opportunity to benefit by living in San Benito County the same way that I have and that my parents and grandparents did.”
Marci Huston
Focusing on the entire community’s needs and wants is Board of Supervisors District 1 candidate Marci Huston’s goal for the future of San Benito County.
After getting her first taste of county politics from serving a four-year term on the county water board, she ran for the Board of Supervisors in 1996, losing to current District 5 Board member Bob Cruz.
With the full support of her family she decided to run again in a new district with a fresh start.
“I think it’s time that there’s someone in public office that actually has the priority of everyone here as their reason for running,” Huston said. “My focus will be to make the processes more public – they are public now, but I’m very much an open person where I want to talk to everybody and get people’s opinions.”
From going door to door championing her causes, Huston has found that most people in her district want to be involved and participate in local government, but either don’t know how or feel intimidated by the entire process, she said.
Engaging a community who, for the most part, is willing to volunteer its time in improving its quality of life takes effort, but Huston is willing to use her ideas and energy to make it happen, she said.
“There’s very serious issues that need to be dealt with as a Board of Supervisors,” Huston said. “But I want to be someone where if somebody wants to dig in and help, they would feel comfortable enough talking to me about where can I go and what can I do?”
Huston has financed her campaign almost completely with personal finances, hand-painted the signs advertising her candidacy with help from her children and friends, and has spent much of her time going door to door speaking with residents.
“I have a lot of energy and a lot of passion, and I’m very driven,” she said.
While she is not pro-growth and favors the county’s 1-percent growth cap, she opposes the growth control initiative, Measure G.
Taking away development rights, devaluing property and decreasing the county’s tax base are several of the reasons Huston opposes the measure.
“I don’t like the fact that people work their whole life to be able to give something to their children, and it strips them of that,” she said. “I have no problem if they wanted to promote open space, but don’t say you’re preserving ag, because ag is very emotional.”
Planning for the future and capitalizing on the resources that exist in the county are important in maintaining a successful living environment for the community, she said.
“This whole town is being torn up,” she said. “We need to be bringing back the community as a community.”
Grant Brians
With a deep-rooted passion for county politics, 31-year San Benito County resident Grant Brians is ready to put his knowledge and experience to good use by running for the District 1 Board of Supervisors seat.
Focusing on managed growth, along with better cooperation between the county and city governments, are some of the issues Brians considers most important to the future of the county.
“I like what this county was and still could be,” Brians said, “which is a community that has a strong, vibrant agricultural base and that also has cities that are healthy. Clearly right now we have some problems in that regard.”
Facilitating better cooperation between county and city officials, along with making the effort to provide joint services, is important in preserving the limited services residents have, he said.
Years of attending Planning Commission meetings, Board of Supervisors meetings, City Council meetings and reading Environmental Impact Reports has instilled the know-how needed to now take the reins and provide the leadership county residents need, he said.
And as an avid student of history, Brians said he feels it’s important to learn from our mistakes to provide a better future.
“We must not hesitate to learn from other places and from our own history to change what can and should be improved,” he said.
As the only candidate in District 1 who is in favor of the growth control initiative, Measure G, Brians said he believes the measure will help preserve agricultural land and services.
Measure G will help bring the county’s current General Plan into conformance with certain zoning issues that will help keep the county’s budget balanced and maintain resources and amenities, he said.
“(Without it) we would be moving away from the kind of community we want,” he said. “We want to have a community where we enjoy living.”
Making decisions that impact the long-term future of the county and doing it in a logical fashion are extremely important, Brians said.
“Does it sound like I’m basing my campaign on good planning? Yes, it probably does,” Brians said. “And I would hope that it is a direction that people would understand that I not only care about, but have the ability to deliver on.”
