Santa Clara Connections: Pierluigi Oliverio – County Supervisor Candidate
Editor’s Note: In 2018, there will be an election to replace County Supervisor Ken Yeager who is finishing his final term. The district includes Santa Clara. So we will ask candidates to share with us their connection to Santa Clara in 300 words or so. Pierluigi Oliverio submitted the following. Other candidates will be offered the same opportunity, too, and we’ll print their information in the coming weeks.
I was asked recently about my connections to the city of Santa Clara. Rather than discuss my personal or professional high-tech connections, I would like to highlight my local government experience.
 For the past ten years, I represented a San Jose city council district that borders directly on the city of Santa Clara. During this time, I served on county level committees such as the Grand Boulevard Initiative, Santa Clara County Emergency Operational Area Council, Silicon Valley Regional Interoperability Authority, and Valley Transit Authority PAC/PAB.

 I appreciate the achievements of the city of Santa Clara, and hope to represent the city at the County level with the same level of dedicated constituent service that helped me win reelection twice in my own council district. While I will never be a native of Santa Clara city, I am a native of Santa Clara County, and care deeply about the area that I have called home for nearly five decades.

 Understandably, many residents may not think about county government on a day-to-day basis. This often changes when an issue that affects them directly arises, such as the prolonged conflict between the County and the city of Santa Clara over the Northside library. In contrast, in representing my former San Jose council district, I co-managed efforts by the cities of San Jose and Santa Clara to work together for our mutual benefit on multiple expansions of Westfield Valley Fair, a site where the two cities share a border. I certainly hope areas of concern between local governments can be handled more along the Valley Fair model, without litigation and unnecessary animosity.

 During the campaign for county supervisor, it is my hope that we will focus on issues specific to the county level of government. The county has no power or authority over other levels of government, such as federal, state or school districts.

 I hope to meet many more of you during this campaign to learn about your specific concerns.