Gruver’s property in southern San Benito County lies in the West
Hills Community College District, and it’s the only local item on
her Nov. 4 ballot.
HOLLISTER
Anyone that takes a look at the official San Benito County List of Candidates and Contests on the ballot for the Nov. 4 statewide general election will see an odd entry for a measure seeking to raise funds for a junior college in Coalinga.
“The reason for that,” says Lillian Pereira, the elections supervisor for San Benito County, “is because we have one voter in our county that is in the West Hills Community College District.”
That voter is Carole Gruver, who has lived 97 miles from Hollister in Coalinga for the last 40 years.
“I can’t vote in anything to do with Fresno County, but my family is in the school district, so we get to vote on anything that has to do with education,” says Gruver.
Gruver says that she sometimes drives the nearly two-hour route to Hollister to visit her son or get a burn permit.
“It’s a scenic highway that I’ve always liked to drive,” she says, “and Hollister is a nice town, so I putter around there sometimes.”
Pereira says there are 21 different ballots sent out to San Benito County residents, each with the specific voting opportunities for a district, town or region.
“Everything in each person’s booklet is what they are eligible to vote on. In that voter’s case, her booklet only contains Measure C because that is the only one she is qualified for.”
Pereira notes that people in unincorporated areas don’t vote for any city elections.
“That’s what differentiates ballots,” summarizes the elections supervisor.
Gruver says she isn’t sure yet about which way she will vote on Measure C, which seeks to issue $11.6 million in bonds for improvement to the Coalinga campus of the West Hills Community College District.
“In the past, they have taken local money and spent it on the campus in Lemoore,” says Gruver, who explains that the Coalinga campus is supposed to be the main campus, but that the Lemoore campus has more or less taken over that role.
“They say that this time the money will only be spent here,” she says, “but I don’t know how I’ll vote because I’m not sure you can trust any politicians these days.”
