Gonzales owes its name to the two brothers who founded the city—Dr. Mariano Gonzalez and Alfredo Gonzales—on land given to their father, Teodoro Gonzalez, in 1836. According to Wikipedia, the two brothers are credited with constructing one of the first irrigation systems in the Salinas Valley. Irrigation led to ranching, dairy farms and agricultural fields; even today, the largest employers are food producers. Another thriving industry is wine production—some 46 vineyard properties are in the area, with 5,900 acres in production. According to U.S. census date, he city’s estimated 8,300 residents are overwhelmingly Latino (88.9 percent), and most live in family groups (89.4 percent).

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City Council

The Gonzales City Council is composed of five members who are elected at large. The mayor is elected every two years, and councilmembers serve staggered four-year terms.

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Salinas Valley Tribune logo From Salinas Valley Tribune...

04/10/2025
Image for display with article titled Gonzales Hosts 3rd Annual Car Show Attracting Hundreds to Downtown

The City of Gonzales, in collaboration with Gonzales Customs and Street Life Car Club, hosted its third annual Car Show on Saturday in downtown Gonzales.

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11/14/2024
Image for display with article titled Gonzales Celebrates Veterans With ‘Hometown Heroes’ Ceremony

In a heartfelt tribute, the City of Gonzales honored 28 local veterans and active-duty service members during a special Hometown Heroes ceremony last week at Central Park.

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11/06/2024
Image for display with article titled Gonzales Fire Department Receives $43K Grant for New Emergency Response Equipment

Gonzales Fire Department has received a grant totaling $42,933 from the California Office of Traffic Safety to purchase new extrication equipment.

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10/17/2024
Image for display with article titled Gonzales Celebrates ‘Topping Out’ of New Community Center Complex

GONZALES — City of Gonzales celebrated the “topping out” of the Dennis and Janice Caprara Community Center Complex with a ceremony Friday, marking the milestone of lifting the final structural beam into place.

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09/12/2024
Image for display with article titled Gonzales Proposes Sales Tax Hike With Measure S on November Ballot

GONZALES — City of Gonzales has placed Measure S on the Nov. 5 Presidential General Election ballot.

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