Capitola residents in the Nov. 5 election will vote to fill two seats on the City Council.

With four candidates on the ballot, three are viable in terms of qualifications to serve on the council for four year terms: Incumbent Margaux Morgan, Gerry Jensen and Melinda Orbach.

We recommend voters reelect Morgan and elect newcomer Jensen.

Morgan, who works as a personal trainer and manages a restaurant in Capitola Village, was elected to the Council in 2020 at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic and served as mayor in 2023 during the devastating storms that hammered the city’s coastal area and nearly severed the Capitola Wharf.

Morgan brings small-business perspectives to her run for a second term, listing her priorities as continuing public outreach on plans for the reopened Wharf, including talking to previous business owners who operated on the pier. She also wants to see a project put together to protect eroding Cliff Drive, a road she told the Editorial Board she runs and walks daily.

And regarding the city’s Housing Element that will add a staggering 1,336 units to Capitola, she favors rezoning and a re envisioned mixed-use Capitola Mall to ease the burden on the rest of the city.

Regarding the rail-trail through Capitola, Morgan says the Regional Transportation Commission-owned rail trestle over Soquel Creek will need to be completely redone, which ties the city’s hands somewhat on planning for accommodating both rail and trail, and that the council will need to work closely with the RTC in planning for putting pedestrians and bicyclists on Village streets at least temporarily.

Jensen has lived in Capitola for 14 years, serves on the city Planning Commission, and has been involved in numerous civic and volunteer efforts and organizations, including chairing the fundraising drive to enhance Capitola Wharf.

He worked closely on the city’s state-mandated Housing Element and wants to see the housing spread throughout a city of approximately 10,000 residents. The Mall is one of his priorities with about 800 of the housing units projected to be built there, with a height limit of 75 feet.

On the rail trail, Jensen says Capitola needs a “better look” with the rail portion, including a rebuilt trestle, temporarily putting trail traffic on city streets. His other priorities include improving the city’s infrastructure and bike safety (helped develop a city bike safety program) that helps protect seniors walking throughout the city.

Orbach is a family nurse practitioner and mother of three who lives on the western side of Soquel Creek, a side of the city she says needs more representation on the Council. Orbach notes that the 41st Avenue corridor generates 83% of annual sales tax revenue and has been identified for 90% of projected future housing development for Capitola. She wants to see more development and community space at the Mall and asks why nothing has progressed there under the current council. She’d eventually like to see a hotel/conference center in the 41st Avenue area, where visitors could be shuttled into the Village and to the beach. Another priority is expanding kids’ programs. She supports the rail trail by keeping the city’s options open and that city policies need to ensure coastal resilience.

While Orbach is a new face and brings a compelling argument about representation on the council, our choices are Margaux Morgan, whose reelection will ensure the council does not lose valuable experience (with Mayor Kristen Brown termed out and running for the Board of Supervisors); and Gerry Jensen, whose public service record has prepared him for a next phase as a City Council member.

Capitola voters are also being asked to raise the city sales tax rate to 9.25% from 9% in the Nov. 5 election. The current rate is the lowest among cities in the county and the unincorporated area. The money raised, approximately $2.2 million annually, would go into the city’s General Fund and can be used for any purpose, including bolstering the city’s coastal infrastructure. The increase is warranted and needed. We recommend Capitola voters approve Measure Y, the sales tax increase.