The Hollister City Council has two district seats and an at-large mayorship on the ballot this November.
Incumbent mayor Mia Casey is being challenged by newcomer Roxanne Stephens and the District 1 race is between incumbent Rick Perez and another newcomer, Rudy Picha.
The District 4 contest sees another incumbent, Tim Burns, square off against Priscilla De Anda, who is also new to Hollister politics.
Burns, 70, was first elected to the council in 2020 and is looking to serve another term. A retired law enforcement officer, Burns has worked in various city governments across the region and out of state. He is running on a platform of public safety, fiscal responsibility and community development.
De Anda, 37, lists her occupation as an instructional program specialist and is a lifelong Hollister resident. She is running on a slow growth platform and focused on improving roads and curbing residential development.
The Free Lance sent questions to both candidates and this week we are featuring De Anda responses. Some responses have been edited for brevity and clarity. Burns’s responses were published earlier this month and can be found on our website at sanbenito.com.
Why are you running for the District 4 Hollister City Council seat?
I am running as a grassroots, lifelong resident who genuinely cares about this town and this community. Like the rest of the community, I am frustrated with the key issues that continue to impact our quality of life. This has motivated me to be the voice of the people who feel like they are not being heard, listened to, or represented by our current council. If elected, I will fight to bring transparency to the council while working to improve the quality of life for our community.
What are some pressing issues you will work on if elected?
The repeated and growing concerns I hear from residents are rapid housing growth without proper infrastructure. The traffic, and crumbling roads and sidewalks not only impact drivers, but senior citizens and people with disabilities, who have expressed their difficulties to safely get around the city and avoid specific areas in their neighborhoods. I will work with fellow council members to ensure everyone is considered when making decisions to slow the growth and focus on the infrastructure needed to create the change the residents want for our community and generations to come.
What relevant experience will you bring to the table?
As a resident of Hollister that commutes to Gavilan College, and a person who believes in government transparency, I have attended city council meetings and felt like the voice of the people is minimized and ignored. Working in an educational institution has prepared me to face challenges with a solution-based approach. Every day, I work with students and collaborate with colleagues, and we challenge each other to learn and grow. This has given me a set of skills, and the sense of responsibility, needed to create impactful change. The greatest change that I will bring to the city council is to make decisions with integrity, while representing the voice of the people and restoring trust through transparent decision-making leadership.
What are your positions on Measure A and Measure X?
Measure A allows voters to have a say on future growth that could benefit the entire community. We cannot risk any more land being sold to developers who don’t care for our community. I support voting “Yes” on Measure A.
Measure X allows voters to stop the sale of our hospital to a corporation located in Michigan. We have the power to keep our hospital a public establishment and not at the mercy of a privatized out-of-state corporation that is out of touch with the needs of our local community. I support a “no” vote on Measure X.
Why should voters elect you over the incumbent, Tim Burns?
We are at a pivotal point in our society where people feel they are not being heard or understood by government representatives. Demonstrating a lack of support toward issues that continue to impact our quality of life, Mr. Burns voted to have fees waived for the Eden Housing West Fairview development and voted to expand our sewer system, which will fiscally hurt the residents in the long run. We need new, fresh and vibrant energy to restore trust and integrity in our council, and I am that person. I will strive to create real, sustainable change starting with fixing our roads and local infrastructure. How I show up for myself is how I show up for everyone in the community.
