City of Scotts Valley City Council Councilmember Randy Johnson

A resident of Scotts Valley since the 1990s, Johnson’s campaign website for the 2020 council race outlines his priorities for the future: navigating the recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic, creating a city-wide defensible space against future wild fires, and pushing the development of a town center to provide a community gathering place.

Johnson says he first got involved with politics when he worked on the campaign to build a high school in Scotts Valley. And he first ran for City Council with the immediate goal of fixing Scotts Valley Drive. “Thankfully Measure D passed by nearly 90 percent,” he says on the site. “I often think about how we as a community were able to come together and equitably repair that main road for the betterment of our citizens and businesses alike.”

Johnson told Good Times that he ran for reelection because he does not want to abandon Scotts Valley during “the hardest year our entire community has ever faced.” He serves on the Scotts Valley Local Economic Recovery Committee, meeting weekly to keep local businesses stay afloat during the pandemic.

First elected: Nov. 8, 2016

Day job: Insurance agent

Alma maters: UC Riverside (teaching credential); Westmont College (bachelor’s degree)

Notable quote: “The town center concept is necessary for our community as it presents the dream of a “sense of place” that is so important for any community. A village green or a gathering place allows for people to come and meander in an atmosphere that is not currently available in our city. A space like that would complete the vision of an entire generation of people who have sought to have a downtown in our city.” (Source: MyScottsValley.com)