City manager calls for skipping motorcycle rally in 2027

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In the wake of the iconic Hollister Independence Rally’s return for the last two years, City Manager Ana Cortez announced at the Aug. 3 Hollister City Council meeting that she plans to request officials to postpone the event in 2027. 

Cortez’s proposal drew criticism from Councilmember Rolan Resendiz, who has been a strong supporter of the rally. Mayor Roxanne Stephens, another strong rally backer, missed the meeting.

The announcement comes in the wake of criticism of the city’s handling of the rally by the San Benito County Civil Grand Jury and a dip in attendance at this year’s event.

At the meeting, the City Council also approved responses to the 2025-26 San Benito County Civil Grand Jury report on the rally by a 4-0 vote with Stephens absent.

The council also approved a response to the civil grand jury’s report regarding the city’s requirement to file subpoenas to interview all city officials and to access all city records.  

Cortez, in her city manager report, said her proposal to postpone the rally for a year is intended to give city officials ample time to organize the rally and ensure it is well-attended. She also said it’s “highly unlikely” the city will have money for the rally in the budget for the upcoming year.

“My biggest disappointment was that we didn’t have 30,000 people, 40,000 people,” she said. “A lot goes into the planning. A lot of money spent on these events and success is attached to the number of folks that come.”

The city estimated last month’s rally attracted about 20,000 visitors, compared to 26,600 in 2025. The figures are generated from a software program that uses cellphone location data. Visitors who attend both days of the rally are counted twice. 

The rally has been held for the last two years after a seven-year hiatus starting in 2018.

Cortez’s announcement did not sit well with Resendiz, who pointed out her responsibility to take direction from the City Council. He suggested that the ad hoc committee, consisting of himself and Mayor Roxanne Stephens, review Cortez’s proposal and return to the City Council with recommendations. 

Cortez also said the city plans to release a request for proposals for a rally promoter or organizer soon. And she asked the council to consider expanding the rally to a four-day event. 

Earlier in the meeting, the City Council had approved the city’s responses to the civil grand jury’s report on the rally including recommendations to hire a security company no later than six months before the rally and provide an expenditure report within three months following the motorcycle gathering.

While the city’s response indicated it agreed with contracting a security firm as early as possible, it also disagreed with creating what it called “artificial deadlines.”

The city’s response said the deadlines are not reasonable because they would restrain city officials’ ability to negotiate a contract and that circumstances beyond its control may delay negotiations.

“That being said, the City Council intends to have security contracts in place well in advance of any event,” the city response said.

For the 2025 rally, the city contracted with American Global Security less than a month before the rally. This year, the city contracted with Citiguard 38 days before the rally.

The civil grand jury is convened annually and is composed of 19 citizens who are sworn to serve as grand jurors and investigate the operations of various government departments and agencies.

With regard to the civil grand jury’s recommendation on the rally spending report, the city’s response indicated it may be unable to have “closed the books” on the rally within three months because it depends on “fiscal year timing” and when vendors submit invoices.

“While the report may not be ready within three months as recommended by the Grand Jury, as stated earlier, such expenditures are a matter of public record and accessible to the public at any time,” the city’s response said.

For the 2025 rally, the city failed to provide BenitoLink with the preliminary and final financial reports that the promoter Roadshows, Inc was contractually obligated to submit to the city. The city ultimately provided its own financial report.

The civil grand jury report also noted city officials failed to provide some of the documents it requested with regard to the rally’s cost. 

The city also disagreed with the civil grand jury’s finding that the ad hoc committee made up of Resendiz and Stephens “made the majority of decisions for the rally” rather than the full council. The city’s response cited minutes of multiple council meetings during which it said the full council discussed the rally, but did not include those minutes nor the meeting dates.

“While the City Council relied on the ad hoc committee and staff’s advisory role prior to implementing decisions, the City Council retained authority,” the city said.

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