City of Gonzales City Council Councilmember Jose L. Rios

Retired from his job at PG&E, Jose L. Rios is back at work after winning his second bid in the November 2022 election to once again serve as mayor of Gonzales.

A first-generation Mexican-American citizen and the son of a farmworker, Rios told the Salinas Valley Tribune in 2020: “I’m grateful for what I have, and not for what I don’t have.” Housing is a big issue for Rios. He told the Tribune that “accessory dwelling units might be a short-term solution to housing, as the city has large lots where extra units could be built.” He cites a lack of land suitable for development and points to the city’s plan to annex an estimated 1,500 acres, but environmental impact reports and other studies will take years.

Rios' feeling about the future overall is optimistic: “I really think this is one of the greatest cities in the County of Monterey to live in. There were folks saying they moved back to Gonzales to raise their families here.”

Board and committee assignments
Transportation Agency for Monterey County
Mayors' Association
Mayors' Select Committee
City & School Joint Steering Committee