Council appoints Batra to vacant seat
Retired Intel, IBM manager replaces Mayor Matt Mahan in District 10
San Jose finally has a full City Council, ending weeks of intense wrangling between moderates and progressives over the balance of power at City Hall.
Retired Intel and IBM manager Arjun Batra won the appointment to the final vacant seat Jan. 26 and became District 10's new councilmember Monday, replacing Matt Mahan, who was elected as mayor in November.
Batra is the first Indian American councilmember since Ash Kalra left in 2016 for the Assembly. He will serve until the next general election in 2024 and said he is still deciding whether he will run in the contest to keep the seat representing the city's southwestern portion that borders Almaden Quicksilver County Park to the south and includes Tulare Hill to the east and Westfield Oakridge mall to the north.
Councilmembers voted 6-3 for Batra. His appointment potentially gives Mahan — who is facing potential roadblocks in building a coalition on the council to pass his policy proposals — a much-needed ally. The council's more progressive members — Rosemary Kamei, Omar Torres and Peter Ortiz — had pushed to appoint education and child care consultant Wendi Mahaney-gurahoo.
“It is the obligation of the ones who are blessed to do something for the ones who have not been given much,” said Batra, outlining his leadership strategy.
The appointment is the second one this week after councilmembers voted 7-2 Jan. 24 to bring on Stanford administrator Domingo Candelas to represent East San Jose's District 8, with the mayor and councilmember Bien Doan voting against Candelas. In both cases, councilmembers interviewed a group of candidates before having a vote. About 200,000 residents live within the two district's boundaries.
At the top of Batra's priority list is helping the city's homeless residents. Although the problem isn't as prevalent in his district, Batra said it is incumbent upon all the city's residents to solve it collectively. He also wants to address income inequality and public safety.
Aside from his time at Intel and IBM, Batra also served on Mayor Sam Liccardo's Smart City Advisory Committee and San Jose's Information Technology Committee.
In a statement, Mahan said he was excited for Batra to take over his old district. “Between his business background and city commission service, I'm confident Arjun will represent our district well,” he wrote.
During the public comment period where residents offered support for their chosen candidate, nonprofit leader Sally Petersen described Batra as “highly intelligent” and “technologically savvy.”
“Arjun will listen, collaborate and unite our community,” Petersen said.
Batra went up against five other candidates: progressive favorite Mahaney-gurahoo, former Deputy District Attorney
and Santa Clara County Superior Court Judge Ron Del Pozzo, corporate attorney George Casey, former city and county employee Dennis Hawkins and fitness studio owner J. David Heindel.
The Jan. 26 meeting was much calmer and less crowded than the Jan. 24 one, when several of Candelas' opponents accused him of unfairly preparing for the council interviews. Candelas later denied the accusations.
The Jan. 24 meeting with the candidates centered on improving East San Jose District 8's transportation infrastructure and small businesses. The Jan. 26 meeting for Almaden Valley's District 10 — a much wealthier district that doesn't come face to face with as many of San Jose's problems — focused on bolstering the city's law enforcement ranks and how to reach its underserved residents.
The need for more affordable housing and combatting
homelessness was discussed extensively on both nights.
The selection of Batra and Candelas marks the first time in nearly three decades that the council has filled empty seats by appointment. It comes after weeks of internal wrangling among the councilmembers over whether to fill the empty seats through special elections instead.
In December, Mahan and Liccardo proposed special elections, arguing that residents should choose their representatives. But opponents of his idea from the progressive corners of the city said it would cost too much and low turnout would produce a candidate who didn't reflect the values of District 8 and District 10.
In a 7-4 vote, councilmembers decided to make appointments, a major loss for Mahan as he tries to find allies on a board that all endorsed his opponent Santa Clara County Supervisor Cindy Chavez in November's mayoral race.