India Post News Service

MILPITAS: When Bob Livengood was first elected Mayor of Milpitas in 1984, he was the youngest mayor in Milpitas history. Similarly in 1975, he had served as California’s youngest City Councilman. Currently serving as the Vice-Mayor of Milpitas and up for a third term as Mayor, Bob had a fund raising event held on his behalf on March 17.

Hosted by Dr Romesh Japra, the cocktail dinner was held at Swagat restaurant in Milpitas. After the welcome speech by Dr Japra, Vice-Mayor Livengood thanked everyone for coming out to support him. He said that he was happy to meet "his extended family"- the people who are in Milpitas. "Being Mayor is about bringing people together. Even when people disagree, they can always find common ground", he said. People come from every part of the world to live, raise their families and work in Milpitas. These people are "big thinkers".

Similarly, the Council members must think big and be visionaries. According to him, "I am a global thinker; I think big and would like to bring big things to Milpitas" He said that big redevelopment projects are coming to Milpitas. Serra Center, the site where Father Junipero Serra held penance for his priests in 1778, is important for Milpitas as a mixed use development. Other big projects include the McCarthy Ranch development and the auto dealerships in Milpitas which would be important revenue generators for the city.

During his two terms as Mayor in the mid 1980s, the city "produced the DARE program, the renovation of the old Samuel Ayer High School into the Milpitas Sports Center, the approval of the Terrace Gardens Senior Housing, the construction of three major hotels, a sustained economic boom for the City of Milpitas and the construction of many major transportation improvements." Vice-Mayor Livengood said that "I start off with the premise, is it good for the city?" With his level of experience as a Milpitas leader, he should certainly know what is good or required for the city.