Mayor Tony Bruscia said Monday he’s leaning toward running for a
second term on the Hollister City Council.
Mayor Tony Bruscia said Monday he’s leaning toward running for a second term on the Hollister City Council.
He hasn’t made a final decision, but Bruscia, 35, said he expects to begin campaigning for the council once he returns from his wedding honeymoon at the end of August.
So far, two other candidates have pulled nomination papers from City Hall for the District 5 seat. They are Monica Johnson, a nurse, and Martin Deffee, a deputy in the county Marshal’s Office.
Bruscia said his main consideration has been the challenge of balancing his family and career as a insurance broker with commitments of being a council member. He’ll only run if he feels he can make enough time for all three, he said.
Councilman Brian Conroy, who has missed several meetings, has said his job and family are top priorities. He won’t be running for second term in November.
“The number one struggle for me in making this decision is that question,” Bruscia said. “It’s very difficult to do all that.”
Bruscia has until Aug. 6 to pull the documents and make himself eligible. If he does, he’ll have the challenge of gaining confidence from some employee groups – which endorse candidates – he has alienated in recent months.
Bruscia supported a plan to lay off 12 employees and save Hollister about $600,000 this fiscal year. The proposal was rejected by the other four council members. He also has adamantly requested that city unions consider conceding pay raises and benefit advancements to help balance the city’s budget shortfall.
