City of Scotts Valley City Council Councilmember Jim Reed

Jim Reed knows local government inside and out. In addition to serving on the Scotts Valley City Council (now in his fourth term), he’s also chief of staff for San Jose Mayor Sam Liccardo (since 2015). But Reed chose to make his home in Scotts Valley, about which he wrote in a piece for the Press Banner, “there’s no finer place to raise a family and enjoy small town a sense of community that’s rarely found anywhere these days. … The first job for any civic leader is to maintain this incredible quality of life that we enjoy.”

First elected: 2010 (appointed in 2007)

Day job: Chief of Staff for San Jose Mayor Sam Liccardo

Alma mater: George Mason University (bachelor’s degree, history/government and politics)

Notable quote: “It is true that Scotts Valley cannot solve the problem of high housing costs in coastal California; for a small town of 12,000, fighting such strong forces of supply and demand is like trying to stop the tide from coming in. We can, however, insist that our growth includes a larger portion of housing units that can be afforded by our cops, teachers and children.  The Council should require developers to build more units that are “affordable by design”—studios, one-bedrooms, and smaller units that empty-nesters and millennials are increasingly demanding.” (Source: Press Banner)