Last year, Hicks helped launch the Livable Mountain View group, which has resisted rapid development, especially for downtown offices. Hicks has emphasized that she isn't against city growth, but she wants quality planning that serves to benefit the community.
As a parent of two, she has also been active in local schools, serving on the Castro Elementary School site council and co-founding the outdoor education nonprofit Living Classroom. She has also served on the board of directors for the Center for Public Environmental Oversight and the Mountain View Historic Association.
Hicks could not immediately be reached for an interview.
A veteran of Mountain View politics, John Inks — who left the council in 2016 after reaching the two term limit — has filed papers to run again.
There are now six candidates running in November's election for the three open council seats. Also in the race are Planning Commissioner Ellen Kamei, Planning Commissioner Lucas Ramirez, Councilwoman Pat Showalter and Mayor Lenny Siegel.
As a dyed-in-the-wool Libertarian, Inks has championed small-government principles both in and out of office. His adherence to this ideology has been clear and consistent, even though it often left him in a lonely position on Mountain View's liberal-leaning council.
During his time on the council, he opposed tougher gun control laws, increasing the minimum wage, flying the pride flag, and declaring Mountain View a human rights city. When it came to casting his vote, he frequently pointed to the budget cost to explain why he was rejecting a project. While these votes have sometimes outraged critics, they have only made Inks more popular among his support base in the city.
Most recently, Inks has helped advocate for a November ballot measure to weaken the city's rent control law.
Inks could not be immediately be reached for an interview, but he indicated in an email that his platform would focus on a conservative fiscal policy and a "measured" approach to policymaking. Among his goals, he said he wanted to focus on updating the city's precise plans and gatekeeper process while also building an integrated transportation system.
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