Mayor Tony Bruscia is running for another term on the Hollister
City Council to finish many crucial projects started during the
past four years.
Hollister – Mayor Tony Bruscia is running for another term on the Hollister City Council to finish many crucial projects started during the past four years.
Bruscia, 36, said there’s a “huge learning curve” to being a council member, and he wants to continue learning and working to find solutions to Hollister’s problems, he said.
“I’d hate to leave when things are bad, and walk away when things are such a challenge,” he said. “I’d rather leave when things are better.”
Although there have been many challenges, such as the building moratorium, Bruscia said the current council has done a lot of good, too. As examples, he pointed out Hollister’s construction of a second fire station, a new animal shelter, a revised general plan, the drafting of a new airport master plan and the nearly completed Downtown Beautification Project.
Bruscia stresses creative thinking to find solutions to Hollister’s financial woes. And he supports some level of growth, as long as it’s not too rampant and is offset by adequate infrastructure, he said.
Growth and a building moratorium
“I think growth is important,” he said. “No growth is unhealthy for a community. And rampant, uncontrolled growth is foolish.”
Bruscia said any proposed project – and whether its benefits would outweigh its negative impacts – should be considered.
The building moratorium, brought on by a sewer spill many believe was prompted by uncontrolled growth, remains one of the city’s No. 1 priorities, Bruscia said.
By dealing with the moratorium and the challenge of building a new wastewater plant over the past four years, he said he’s prepared to make crucial decisions on the issue.
“I learned more about sewage than I ever dreamed to know about sewage,” Bruscia said.
He said the council has started to restore residents’ trust on the sewage issue. He pointed out that Hollister has met all deadlines – from the state’s regional water board – in its efforts to build a $38 million sewer plant.
“For two years we’ve been hitting every target and we’ve been doing what we said we were going to do on time,” he said. “That’s a good start.”
Economic development
Bruscia sees innovative economic development as a way Hollister can solve many of its financial and growth-related problems. He touts an array of ideas he has to attract more businesses and enhance the area as a tourist attraction.
Bruscia is known for his idea to have a water park built in Hollister, which he thinks could be a regional tourist draw, he said.
He also has approached the Chamber of Commerce and others about organizing a bus tour that could take visitors to local wineries and Pinnacles National Monument to see its array of wildflowers – one of the park’s biggest attractions. He called it the kind of “responsible tourism” Hollister needs.
But Bruscia also talked about his efforts to communicate with larger commercial enterprises about coming to Hollister, which could boost a lagging local sales tax base.
He also believes some already existing businesses could successfully expand during the moratorium, which prohibits new construction. Bruscia has talked to local business owners about such renovations, he said.
Other existing businesses, such as many downtown, he said, have become too complacent and have lacked ambition to grow. He hopes to attract businesses with more innovation.
“We have a lot of businesses that have been here a long time that are comfortable,” he said. “I kind of like to refer to them as ‘hobby businesses.'”
Bruscia called the airport a “huge opportunity” for economic development. He talked about the newly drafted airport master plan that includes plans for commercial hangars and more air-related businesses.
Bruscia hasn’t taken a stance on the proposed Indian casino off Highway 25. Though he is “fundamentally” opposed to gaming and its potential effects on a community, he said.
“I think it’s important until you have more details,” he said.
The Budget
One area Bruscia wishes he had more details during the past four years is the budget. He entered his first term believing that council members shouldn’t micro-manage city staff, that they should instead set broader policy. It was his biggest mistake as a councilman, he said.
In that regard, his philosophy has changed, he said. He learned from problems of the past four years, such as the city’s budget shrinking by $6 million in three years, which council members say the staff never mentioned.
“The truth of the matter is, as a council member, you can’t go in there and balance the checkbook,” he said.
But he acknowledged the council has to take responsibility for any problems that arise.
“Ultimately, as a council member, you have the responsibility of making sure that the city’s running properly,” he said.
Kollin Kosmicki covers politics for the Free Lance. Reach him at 637-5566, ext. 331 or [email protected].
