Two-term council member and Vice Mayor Victor Gomez bid a cheery and sometimes emotional adieu to his colleagues, friends, family members, and the public, and welcomed his successor, Roy Sims, at the Dec. 5 Hollister City Council meeting.
After receiving a commemorative plaque from Mayor Ignacio Velazquez, Gomez stood in the chambers as a sitting councilman for the last time and told those in the crowded room that he appreciated the opportunity to serve the city for the past eight years. He told of how both his grandfather and father had served as mayors of his hometown in Mexico, and that his brother was the former mayor of Glendale, Calif. He related that in 2008, he told his wife he also wanted to serve the community by dedicating himself to public service.
Gomez individually thanked his soon-to-be ex-colleagues.
“Councilman Klauer, thank you,” he said. “It’s been a pleasure serving with you the last couple years. Your thoughtful leadership, as a young member of our community, I think is super valuable. I’m going to miss whispering a lot of B.S. into your ear during the meetings and you laughing, even though it may not have been funny. I feel good knowing that I’m leaving with individuals like you folks in charge, especially Karson.”
When he addressed Councilwoman Mickie Luna, emotion snuck into his voice.
“You’ve been somebody my family has looked up to for years,” he said. “You’re probably one of the first names I heard of in my life. You’ve had such an impact on my life, my family, as a leader in the Latino community. As many folks know, I come from an immigrant family that worked in the fields and canneries for years. My parents sacrificed a lot to come to this country. You were one of those leaders who stepped up. Thank you.”
Then he addressed Councilman Raymond Friend, relating how they were sworn in at the same time and had served eight years together.
“When we opened up our budget binders we saw nothing but red,” he said, “and not the fault of our administrators of the city, but we were in a tough economic cycle. We worked through it and soon turned the city into black through the leadership of Clint Quilter (former city manager), Bill Avera (current city manager), and Brett Miller (administrative services director). We learned collectively, Ray, and essentially moved the city in the right direction. Now we have revenues that are 25 percent higher than they were when you and I first took office. So kudos to you for your leadership.”
Lastly, he addressed Mayor Ignacio Velazquez, with whom he has had somewhat of a contentious working relationship.
“We haven’t seen eye-to-eye on a lot of issues, so I’m not going to spend time on things we didn’t see eye-to-eye on,” he said, “but one thing we did was making sure we stretched our taxpayer dollars to the most extent. You’ve demonstrated, collectively, that you can easily squeeze a quarter until the eagle screams. You’ve done an excellent job with the finances and I hope you continue that.”
Then Gomez welcomed his replacement, Roy Sims, with a joke: “I hope you’re as excited to assume this seat as I am leaving it.”
Gomez said that even though he appreciated his time on the council, he knew early on that he would only be a two-term member.
“They say that a true leader knows when to step aside, and I did exactly that in order to let somebody else take the helm,” he said. “And I’m sure you’re going to do an excellent job.”
He went on to tell Sims that he will quickly learn how excellent the city staff is at doing its jobs. He added that he takes pride in the city employees.
“During the tough times they sacrificed a lot,” Gomez said. “They took a lot upon their shoulders. They took pay cuts. A lot of them ended up losing their jobs. But a lot of them came back and helped rebuild our city. So, to the city staff, thank you. I appreciate everything you do for this city. To our public safety and our police, thank you.”
He concluded by thanking his wife and children, recounting how his wife had stood by him no matter what he decided to do professionally, and singled out each of his three children.
Gomez concluded with a somewhat surreptitious comment, saying, “I may be leaving the council today, but my work as a public servant is not finished. I look forward to coming back and serving my community in a certain way that you will learn about in the future.” He later told BenitoLink he is “contemplating another run for county supervisor or the State Senate.”
Roy Sims Takes the Helm
After Gomez stepped down, Sims was sworn into office and made his first public statement as a city councilman. He thanked Gomez for his encouraging comments and said he hoped he could continue his work.
“Those who were on the council in 2008 worked through a lot of major issues,” Sims said. “We’re now in a position where we get the cherries on top and can do some amazing things. I’m excited about the vision we have and the direction we can continue going.”
Sims compared his family background to that of Gomez, saying he has relatives who worked in the fields and in public service.
“I understand his desire to continue that type of work,” he said. “When you have those types of models in your own family, it’s amazing growing up and being able to look up to people who the community also looks up to. I am 100 percent willing, ready and able to make whatever contribution I can to the City of Hollister.”
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