But according to experienced council members, no amount of education will sufficiently prepare the candidates for a four-year term on council.

"I don't think anyone running for council truly realizes the commitment level until you're in it," said Mayor Randy Attaway, who will not be seeking re-election once his 12 years on council ends in November.

Attaway said he spends 15 to 20 hours each week on council-related activities. That includes time to make phone calls, research issues, social events and several meetings, since council members are required to be involved with groups outside of council. Attaway sits on five committees, including being chairman of the board of the Bay Area Air Quality Management district.

Attaway said, however, that newer council members will have a lighter load and are appointed to the fewest committees. "As your experience level grows and as the council members start to rotate, your responsibilities start to take a toll on your time," Attaway said.

In fact, Attaway's key reason in his decision to step down from council is the need to devote more time to work. Two years ago, Attaway founded AGC, Inc., a mechanical contracting company. "I still give 110 percent [to council] but I couldn't go on and still keep my business alive," Attaway said. "I can't be gone as many hours as I have been."

Many meetings, especially regional and county meetings, are scheduled during the day. Attaway said flexible jobs are essential for a council member to do an appropriate job. "If you're really representing the community, you've got to be there," Attaway said. "You've got to decide up front if you're going to give 100 percent, and if not, you've got to be candid about it."

Pete Siemens, town council member from 1978 to 1983, said serving on council while holding down a full-time job "was a little bit of a squeeze."

"My particular company did not cut a lot of slack," Siemens said. Siemens had to take vacation days or do make-up work whenever he had daytime events. He also was unable to join the air quality district because of the time of meetings.

"I didn't run again because I had just gotten a promotion," Siemens said.

Now retired, Siemens is a board member for the Midpeninsula Regional Open Space District. "What I do on the board is pretty much like a council," Siemens said.

MarLyn Rasmussen served on the town council between 1980 and 1984 and says it's difficult for a person with a 8 to 5 or 8 to 6 job. "It's hard for anybody. You really have to be dedicated. This is a full-time job with no pay," Rasmussen said. "But if you want to do it and you're dedicated enough, you'll do it."

From what Rasmussen has seen, however, larger corporations encourage their employees to get involved in community affairs and are flexible with their time.

"I think the volume of information has probably tripled since the early '80s," Rasmussen said. Rasmussen said the type and amount of projects coming before the town have increased, since downtown has become more viable.

Campaigning is just as time-consuming, Rasmussen said. She would come home from work and walk the neighborhoods every evening and every weekend.

Attaway said "there's just not enough hours in a day" to serve on council, run his company and campaign for re-election. Some of this year's candidates started canvassing neighborhoods in August.

And these days, campaigning has become more sophisticated. Traditionally, Attaway said, Los Gatos campaigns are more of a grass-roots effort. Candidates waited until two or three weeks before the election to post signs and rarely contributed money of their own. "It's about the people, not the money," Attaway said.

Now, there is an expectation of raising more money and doing more self-promotion, which Attaway said he sees as less beneficial as the traditional model.

But the real secret of success both during a campaign and while serving?

Attaway said it's not the money or the publicity or the meetings.

"You have to have a very supportive spouse," Attaway said.