Meet Your Cupertino City Council Candidates
Eight Candidates Running for Three Open Cupertino City Council Seats
The Cupertino City Council is the governing body of the City and is vested with the authority to establish policy, adopt new laws, levy taxes, award contracts and appoint certain City officers, such as the City Manager and City Attorney.
The City Council has five members, who are elected at-large to overlapping, four-year terms. Cupertino municipal elections are non-partisan and are held in November of even numbered years. Council members must be registered voters within City limits. The Council members are ultimately responsible to the people for the actions of local government.
The Council members themselves appoint the Mayor and Vice Mayor for a one-year term. The Mayor, who is also a member of the Council, signs official documents, chairs the Council meetings and acts as the official head of the City at public and ceremonial occasions.
MEET THE CANDIDATES
Orrin Mahoney
After a 35 year management career at Hewlett-Packard, holding a wide variety of management positions, including R&D, Manufacturing, Marketing, and Information Technology. After which, he devoted his time to community activities. Holding the positions of Planning Commissioner for the City of Cupertino from 1991-1999, Mayor of Cupertino from 2009-2010 and 2013-2014, as well as councilmember from 2006-2014.
Mahoney is also a board member of the Cupertino Education Endowment Foundation, co-chair of De-Anza Commission, member of the Foothill De-Anza Foundation Board, and has played an active role as president and governor in Rotary District 5170 throughout his lifetime.
This time around, Mahoney says he wants to focus on housing prices that are driving entire sectors away, traffic and economic sustainability.
Housing Policies: Pro-Housing
“My first priority is balanced housing development. The Bay Area has a serious housing crisis with many people being completely priced out of the housing market. This includes our teachers, that are the key to maintaining Cupertino's strong reputation for its school systems. We need to find ways to selectively add to Cupertino’s housing stock, while protecting our current single family neighborhoods look and feel.”
Savita Vaidhyanathan
Vaidhyanathan was elected to the Cupertino City Council in 2014, served as Vice Mayor from in 2016, and as Mayor in 2017. She also represents five West Valley Cities on the VTA Policy Advisory Committee, she was additionally appointed to serve on the Board of the Valley Transportation Authority (VTA). In addition, she serves on a number of Airplane Noise Relief Committees; which include FAA, SJC Airport, and Cities Association.
Vaidhyanathan is seeking re-election to see the work she started on affordable housing and regional transportation come to fruition, issues that along with the environment constitute her biggest priorities.
Housing Policies: Pro-Housing
“By fostering public conversations I’ve pressed to create real housing solutions in our community for people of all ages, abilities, and income levels so our families can remain together and we can make room for our teachers and service workers.”
Hung Wei
For eleven years, Wei served on the Governing Board of Fremont Union High School District. In addition, she serves as Board Member and active volunteer at community non-profit organizations including the High Schools Foundation, the Northwest YMCA, Asian American Parent Association, the Rotary Club of Cupertino, and EMQ Auxiliary supporting Uplift Family Services.
If elected, Wei’s top priorities will include building coalitions with neighboring cities and Apple to improve local transit, advocate for moderate-income housing and established senior living spaces, as well as ensuring new developments provide community benefits.
Housing Policies: Pro-Housing
“Teacher housing is another one of my top priorities. In a recent survey, 56% of Fremont Union High School District teachers said that they would have to leave the district in the next 6 years due to housing shortage. I will ensure that new developments include moderate-income housing for teachers in order to protect the quality of our education.”
Tara Sreekrishnan
Tara is a current City Council Legislative Aide and community organizer. In her spare time, she sits on the advisory board of the Silicon Valley Clean Energy Citizens Group and on the board of directors for the Friends of Deer Hollow Farm.
Her top three priorities include responsible planning and housing affordability, improving local transit infrastructure, and ensure the City adheres to its Climate Action Plan.
Housing Policies: Pro-Housing
“My roots are here in this great city that gave me the tools to succeed. Now, I want to give back to this vibrant, diverse community, such that others can thrive like I was able to. Cupertino is suffering from years of ineffective and unsustainable leadership, negatively impacting our schools and our community with traffic congestion, runaway cost of living increases, and consistent disregard for community engagement in the future of Cupertino. I’ll fight for proactive planning to ensure strong communities without sacrificing our quality of life. Together, we can make Cupertino a model for what Silicon Valley can be, so we can be proud of our City now and for generations to come. The needs of the residents of Cupertino-not developers-will always come first.”
Liang Chao
Dr. Liang Chao and her family have lived in Cupertino for over 20 years. She is currently an elected member of the Cupertino Union School District Board of Education. And in 2017, she received the CREST (Cupertino Recognizes Extra Steps Taken) Award from the City of Cupertino for her contributions to her community.
Chao co-founded the group Better Cupertino, holds the 2018 Housing Chair of the League of Women Voters from the Santa Clara Valley Chapter, and is a member of Livable California. Better Cupertino has stalled the progress on the Vallco redevelopment over and over again.
Chao supports strengthening the city’s development standards, involving residents in the city’s decision-making process and incentivizing the work-study program. She’d also like to boost the city’s shopping scene.
Housing Policies: Anti-Development
“I will advocate for quality affordable housing, for families and people with disabilities, not just tiny units for singles. We need solid well-rounded action plans for housing shortage without compromising the quality of life.”
Darcy Paul
Paul was elected to the Cupertino City Council in 2014 and is currently serving as Cupertino’s Mayor.
Outside of work, Dacy’s other memberships include acting president of the Cupertino Chamber of Commerce, chair member of the Cupertino Parks and Recreation Commission, and board member of the Cupertino Historical Society.
Instead of specific targets or projects, he says his priorities are based more in approach. His top three priorities include the expansion of the library, park cpace, and improvements to public transit.
Housing Policies: Anti-Development
“It seems to me we should be focused a bit more on housing...circumstances are not dire...it’s not at a point where anyone can justifiably say...drastic measures must be taken”
Jon Willey
Willey works as a licensed engineer and leading member in the Better Cupertino grassroots organization of neighborhoods. Better Cupertino has stalled the progress on the Vallco redevelopment over and over again. He has also presented dozens of data driven analyses on development to the city that demonstrated failings in proposed mega developments.
Willey’s top three priorities include bringing the residents voice to all city decisions, creating sensible growth development, and requiring the maximum number of residential below market rate units for new projects.
Housing Policies: Anti-Development
“Our area’s housing shortage and affordability crisis cannot be allowed to become more outrageous by adding massive office buildings for another 12,000 workers to compete for our limited housing supply.”
Tim Gorsulowsky
Gorsulowsky moved to California in 1987 to work with his brother on a dermatology surgical practice. Gorsulowsky later began his own security business in Silicon Valley.
He has been involved in several community service organizations, including Adopta-Chaplain, and the Calvary Church of Los Gatos. He was also appointed by the Mayor, and serves on the Disability Advisory Committee in Elk Grove, CA. This Committee is responsible for making recommendations to City that assists in facilitating Disabled Persons. He also is the President of Commercial Services Group of CA, Inc., and is affiliated with numerous other businesses in California. In his spare time, Gorsulowsky volunteers for local High School Programs to promote Career Technical Education and has been a driving force to promote these programs in California.
He says if elected, he’d prioritize public safety, promote career technical education in schools, make the city more accessible for the disabled and support small businesses while also making a push to attract Fortune 500 companies.
Housing Policies:
Gorsulowsky would like to develop plans for long-term housing for seniors and residents. Though offered few comments on proposed policies at the Cupertino Council candidate forum.