Mike Zeller, the director of programming and project delivery for the Transportation Agency for Monterey County, is the relative newcomer on the Scotts Valley political scene facing off with former Scotts Valley Chamber of Commerce head Danny Reber, as well as Council member and sandwich shop chain owner Greg Wimp for two open City Council seats.
The reason there’s not two incumbents in the race is because two-time mayor Derek Timm decided not to run again, stating he thought it was time to allow some new blood to flow into the political body.
“I just feel really good about the work I’ve done,” said Timm, who also works in real estate at Montalvo Homes and Estates. “It’s been an incredible opportunity.”
He said he’s looking forward to focusing more on oil painting.
Timm has endorsed both Zeller and Wimp. He said he’s offered to meet with Reber but wasn’t able to set up a time to chat.
Zeller represents that fresh perspective he’s looking for, he noted.
“I think he stands out as the candidate with the best government experience that would really help our community at this moment,” said Timm, adding that he is familiar with Zeller from the Association of Monterey Bay Area Governments board. “He’s just a very thoughtful leader.”
In an interview with the Press Banner, Zeller talked up his work on roads like State Routes 156 and 68, and Highway 101 south of Salinas.
In July 2023, local media reported the 156 interchange work was a $47.5 million project that had ballooned from $29.5 million. Earlier this year, TAMC noted the construction phase of the State Route 156 / Castroville Boulevard Interchange renovation is now going to be around $75 million (with the total cost reaching well over $100 million). Last year, the State did give TAMC $90.6 million for the Castroville project.
But Zeller said his experience dealing with the messy realities of actually building serious projects is exactly what sleepy Scotts Valley needs as it’s forced to develop by state regulators.
He said he’d like to see the City be “a little more aggressive” when it comes to accessing financing for projects, such as perhaps offering investor-backed bonds for housing as a way to retain local control over the growing urban landscape.
He would also like to see the city get a downpayment assistance program up and running.
“There’s going to be some growth that happens,” said Zeller, adding he wants to make sure the place keeps the small-town charm that’s been so good for raising his girls. “What we really love about Scotts Valley is it’s a place where neighbors look out for each other.”
Reber, who stepped down from the Chamber a year ago to become the executive director of nonprofit Valley Churches United, said he wants to focus on developing relationships with civil society.
He said that will be a key thing to look for as the community selects a top administrator in the days ahead.
“The city manager needs to be a master of relationships,” said Reber, describing each agency as one spoke in the spinning wheel of municipal life. “The hub of that wheel is gonna be the city, and the stakeholders are going to be the spokes of the wheel… If you start knocking spokes out of that wheel, the wheel’s not going to go very far.”
There was too much of a kerfuffle around the way the City dealt with the sinkhole that opened up near the Carl’s Jr. earlier this year, he added.
“Lawyers got involved,” he said. “It almost became an ugly thing.”
Reber said his management of the Scotts Valley Art Wine & Beer Fest is proof that he can work with hundreds of people and many organizations to deliver solid financial results.
“It was losing money,” he said, noting at that time there was no kid zone or car show. “There was no beer.”
Reber recalled a 75% revenue increase in the first year. It has since become one of the most significant such festivals in the Greater Bay Area, with vendors consistently reporting some of their best returns of the year.
“I wanted a festival that was reflective of our community,” he said. “People start to come together and you can do amazing things.”
Wimp is a man of few words. But the owner of three Togo’s Sandwiches franchises (Capitola, Watsonville and Scotts Valley) is a common fixture at local events operating a food booth.
“I’m not a politician. And part of that is, I’m not this orator, someone that’s going to have big long speeches and make promises that I can’t keep,” he said. “I’m going to have that business perspective.”
Wimp was appointed to Council last year, after Allan Timms vacated his seat to move to Texas.
“I see Scotts Valley as the best place to live and work and raise a family in the county,” Wimp said. “People always say, like, it’s really safe and welcoming. So that’s what we’re going to keep.”
He has endorsed Reber, who he’s known for decades—though they’re not officially on a slate.
“It’s not like a competition,” he said. “We both care about the city.”
Wimp said he wants to ensure that Scotts Valley continues to be an attractive place to do business for companies in the area, like Farmblox and Feanix Biotechnologies, or those that want to move here.
“It is a great place,” he said. “We’re close to Silicon Valley, and it is a nice community for employees to live. It’s close to the redwoods; it’s close to the beach. We have facilities available for these companies to move into.”
So, he added, raising taxes is not going to be on his agenda.
Vice Mayor Steve Clark is still pretty new to Scotts Valley government, as well. He’s endorsed both Wimp and Reber.
“Danny was committed,” Clark said of Reber’s long stint at the chamber. “He worked long hours.”
And, he said Wimp would be at community events with his sandwich stand no matter whether his business was booming or having a down month.
“Our daughters went to high school together—they ran cross country together,” said Clark, describing Wimp as quite the family guy. “He is such a man of character and somebody who truly cares about the community.”
Clark said he was not asked by Zeller for an endorsement.
Mayor Donna Lind is mostly trying to stay out of the election fray.
However, she is pushing hard to convince voters to support an increase in the TOT—aka the hotel tax. Lind chairs the Measure G committee.
“It would actually be something that would support our City services, but it’s paid for by visitors,” said Lind, noting estimates suggest the proposed 11% to 13% hike would generate an additional $300,000-400,000 a year, while only adding a few extra dollars to the bill for each night. “Our visitors do use our parks, our police services, our streets.”
She noted 1440 Multiversity is the City’s biggest source of TOT, adding none of the accommodation providers filed an official opposition statement to the measure.
GENERAL ELECTION 2026
Election Day is Tuesday, Nov. 3. Polls are open from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m.
Vote in person: Scotts Valley Public Library, 251 Kings Village Road, opens as a vote center Oct. 24. Scotts Valley High School, 555 Glenwood Drive, opens Oct. 31.
Return a ballot: Mail a ballot, use a secure drop box or return it to any county vote center. The Scotts Valley drop box is in the City Hall parking lot at 1 Civic Center Drive.
For more information, visit votescount.santacruzcountyca.gov.
