District 3 council candidates Karson Klauer and Robert Scattini are on opposite ends of a spectrum as it pertains to experience, but they shared a common motivation to run for the seat in that they both care deeply about the local community.
Klauer, 26, is running for an elected seat for the first time while Scattini, 74, is seeking his third term on the Hollister council to go with many years in other elected positions such as sheriff and marshal.
“I’m running for office because I’d like to eventually raise my kids here in Hollister and I think we could use more of a long-term perspective,” Klauer said.
Said Scattini of his first foray into politics in the early 1980s: “I love Hollister. I love the county. I love the people. I felt that I can give back.”
As for the District 3 council seat, Scattini, who runs a legal civil service business, is trying to move over from the District 2 seat from which he recently resigned due to his move out of the district to a home he owns in District 3.
“It’s a continuation,” he said about his pursuit of the seat. “Especially the mayor and I, we work every day. It’s not just a meeting.”
Klauer, a Realtor by trade, said his major goals include economic development, revitalizing downtown, expanding the number of parks here and getting someone in the vacant executive director role at the Economic Development Corporation of San Benito County.
“I’d like to see somebody, even on a part-time basis, who has contacts,” Klauer said.
He also likes the opportunity available with “through the fence” zoning allowed by the federal government at the Hollister Airport.
“Not a lot of places have that,” he said. “I think that’s a great opportunity for us.”
When it comes to the economy, Scattini said he wants to continue keeping the city finances afloat. He said he meets with the city manager and mayor every week to talk about the budget – such as his recent discovery of a $9,000 annual bill to kill rodents in local parks. He said six or seven years ago, the city had an issue with squirrels in parks but that the problem no longer exists.
“I don’t think so,” he said. “If there is, show me. They went out and killed all the squirrels and gophers and stuff.”
Scattini said he wants to continue looking at ways to consolidate services such as the partnership between the cities and county for fire services.
“I was a strong supporter of combining the sheriff and police department,” said Scattini, referring to talks and a study in 2011 focusing on the prospect for a merger between the two agencies.
Klauer, who received an endorsement from the Hollister Police Officers Association, said it’s “premature” to reconsider consolidation of the two agencies.
“I don’t support consolidation in that I think that’ll kind of drag our resources away from the city, because the county is such a large area,” said Klauer, who added he would like to see the agencies pursue a list of 10 alternative ways to save money, outside of an all-out merger, as presented in the 2011 consolidation report from a hired firm.
Klauer, though, believes the city must focus on savings in the budget in order to wean itself off the need to use Measure E sales tax dollars – 1 percent with all revenue going back to the city – on basic needs. He hopes to have the ability to use those funds on other projects at some point.
“For us to evolve as a city the way that everybody wants to, the Measure E funds are absolutely necessary,” he said.
As for other issues, Klauer during his campaign has talked about the need to plan for more townhouse-style developments. He believes high impact fees for multifamily residential units are a reason why more of the homes aren’t being built.
“We’re not going to see the multifamily residential we need,” he said regarding the impact fees.
Scattini pointed out he also wants to look at contracting out for outside auto shop services. He said the city spends more than $400,000 a year on the work in house.
“I’d like to think we can go out to bid on that,” he said.
Biographical information:
Name: Karson Klauer
Age: 26
Occupation: Realtor
Political experience: None
Name: Robert Scattini
Age: 74
Occupation: Legal civil service agent
Political experience: Hollister council; sheriff; marshal; constable
