Perry and Macias submit applications for VTA board slot Perry and Macias submit applications for VTA board slot (December 09, 2005)

By Jon Wiener

City council will have to choose between two colleagues next week as they select the city's first representative on the VTA board in five years.

Greg Perry and Laura Macias both formally expressed their interest in letters to the city clerk just ahead of last Friday's deadline.

Perry has served as the council's VTA rep on the VTA's Policy Advisory Board (PAB) for three years and has been a leader of the increasingly vocal opposition to the BART-to-San-Jose project, which he says could wind up sucking up every available transportation dollar in the county.

"He's got a message that was sort of really lonely but now is conventional wisdom," said Mayor Matt Neely. "He's as near an expert as any policymaker should be."

But Perry earned more than just admirers for his work on the PAB. Earlier this year, he lost an acrimonious vice mayor election over criticism of his outspokenness at VTA meetings. Shortly thereafter, the Silicon Valley Manufacturing Group -- a group of pro-BART businesses that has since changed its name to Silicon Valley Leadership Group -- sent Neely a letter encouraging him to replace Perry with someone else. Then Perry found himself face to face with Manufacturing Group CEO Carl Guardino in a heated debate on the sidewalk in front of the county sheriff's office.

In her letter to the clerk, Macias tried to set herself apart from Perry's reputation as a lightning rod, writing that "I have extensive appointed board expertise wherein collaboration and compromise are used as often as standing firm for beliefs. It is a balance to achieve."

Macias said she threw her hat into the ring out of genuine interest in the position but will be happy with whatever decision the council makes. She has served as Perry's alternate this year, and like her colleague has been critical of the VTA's proposed spending plan.

E-mail Jon Wiener at jwiener@mv-voice.com

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