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Erik Poicon
Santa Clara County Library Community Outreach Specialist | erik4mv.com
Top priorities
- Expanding access to childcare, transportation, healthcare and jobs
- More housing at all price points while protecting lower-income neighborhoods
- Improving safety through road improvements, climate change response and mental health services
Public service
- Mountain View Human Relations Committee (2022-present)
- Santa Clara County Human Rights Commissioner for District 5 (2024-present)
Community involvement
- Mountain View Chamber of Commerce Ambassador
- Santa Clara County Rapid Response Network
Erik Poicon has dedicated his career to helping people access services that assist with housing, healthcare, employment and other essential needs. If elected to the City Council, Poicon says he would be invested in turning ideas into results to help local residents.
“The housing we build, the transportation systems we create, the way we support our families and seniors, those decisions are going to affect the community,” Poicon told the Voice. “I want to make sure that we’re doing our best.”
In this November’s General Election, Poicon is one of eight candidates vying for three seats on the Mountain View City Council, which sets policies and the overall direction of the city. There are seven Council members in total.
Poicon previously ran unsuccessfully for the City Council in 2024. He currently serves on the city’s Human Relations Committee.
Poicon identified “affordability across all stages of life” as his top priority. That includes expanding access to childcare, transportation, healthcare and senior services, as well as job opportunities for young people, Poicon said.
Housing is also a key component of affordability, Poicon said. He wants to see more homes built at all income levels but stressed a particular need for affordable housing.
Poicon supports Senate Bill 79, a state law passed last year that allows for denser housing to be constructed near major transit stops.
“My goal is more housing near transit, neighborhoods that work for people who live there,” Poicon said.
At the same time, Poicon voiced concerns that SB 79 could limit the decision-making of municipalities. He backs the idea of a “local alternative plan” that could shift housing density to different parts of the city. With an alternative plan, cities can choose where to build housing near major transit stops so long as they maintain the same total base housing capacity that SB 79 stipulates.
Poicon wants to protect historic properties and lower-income neighborhoods at risk of redevelopment that could displace residents. However, he stressed that he doesn’t want to see an alternative plan be used as a tool to reduce housing density overall.
When it comes to people living in RVs, Poicon opposes further restricting oversized vehicles from parking on public streets. When voters passed Mountain View’s narrow street ordinance in 2020, Poicon was working at the Community Services Agency, a Mountain View-based social safety net service provider. In that role, Poicon said he saw the effects of people not knowing where to go and lacking good alternatives for housing.
Poicon wants to see stronger pathways for RV residents to move into safe parking sites, transitional housing and permanent housing. He also wants Mountain View to partner more with other cities and the county on the issue.
With respect to the city budget, Poicon noted that some cost trimming may be needed in the future, as Mountain View is projected to face a modest deficit over the next few years. Protecting essential services is a top priority, Poicon said. He is also hesitant to raise fees that could cause strain for working-class households.
However, Poicon backs raising the city’s hotel tax, which is on this November’s ballot, as well as other possible initiatives, like raising the business tax on major tech companies. Poicon also favors the idea of a bond measure to generate revenue for city projects, which he said could help the city rely less on federal and state funding, especially given the uncertainty the city is facing under the Trump administration.
On the environment, Poicon thinks Mountain View can do far more to combat climate change. He noted that transportation is one of the city’s main sources of carbon emissions and said he would like to see public transit, walking and biking be “real choices” for people. Poicon also wants the city to focus more on reducing building emissions and continuing to support initiatives like its water heater rebate program.
Poicon favors the recent changes made to California Street, which included reducing driving lanes to make space for protected bike lanes. However, he noted that the pilot project has its flaws, including poor visibility at some driveways. More community outreach could have been done for people living in the neighborhood before the project was implemented, Poicon said.
On the issue of public safety, Poicon opposes the reinstallation of automatic license plate readers, which the city removed earlier this year after discovering security and privacy breaches with the technology. Poicon also backs creating a police oversight committee, similar to the Public Safety Advisory Board, which the City Council dissolved two years ago.
“I think it would be appropriate to have an oversight committee, especially as we’re building – or rebuilding – the communal trust,” he said.
Poicon backs Mountain View’s efforts to ban federal authorities from conducting civil immigration enforcement on city property. He is also part of the Santa Clara County Rapid Response Network, an organization that provides direct support to residents impacted by federal immigration enforcement.
“As much as we would want, we can’t change federal immigration law, but we can make sure our residents feel safe,” Poicon told the Voice.
In the coming days, the Voice will be publishing individual profiles of each City Council candidate. To compare the candidates side-by-side on the issues, check out our Candidate Comparison Grid. And head over to our 2026 Election Center to view all of our recent coverage.
