Curtis Wright is all for a "hands-off" approach to government.

The city council candidate thinks Monte Sereno has too many rules that apply to every single aspect of building and development. "There are certain regulations that are too detailed—the city is real, real picky about things that aren't important," Wright says.

Wright points to one house—which he won't identify by name or address—that caused the city to come up with a slew of new ordinances and restrictions. Those very specific rules should have just been applied to that one project, but now they're in effect for the entire city—and completely unnecessary, Wright says.

"You can't legislate the same thing for every street," Wright says. "We're over-tilted to the too-many-regulations, 'City knows
best.' "

Wright's solution is for the city to establish some guidelines. One is that a development must be in keeping with the rural nature of the city but can be creative in design. Wright refers to Viewfield Road, which he says has a blend of eclectic and Appalachian elements in its aesthetics.

"You don't have to have all of the structures be somebody's idea of what a city should be," Wright says.

Another key factor is to maintain privacy and property values through the restriction of lighting, paint reflection and landscaping. That leads into Wright's belief that the cutting down of trees must be balanced with environmental improvements.

Wright says, however, that the city regulates insignificant features such as the size of windows, the type of plants and the like. "You have to jump through hoops to cut down a diseased tree," Wright says. As long as residents have proposals that would "keep things rural," they should be able to build whatever they want.

Ordinances are merely guidelines, Wright says, and should not be written in stone. "There are always exceptions that could be granted," Wright says. "There's always a balance between the homeowner and the city. You have to figure out how to enforce things without being too onerous."

Besides the city's ordinances, Wright is also focused on keeping taxes low in Monte Sereno. The city has the second lowest tax rate in the state, according to Wright, with most of the property taxes going to the county and the school board.

The city also hands much of its funds over to Los Gatos for services such as the police department and park maintenance. Wright says doing so is absolutely necessary, although there are Monte Sereno residents who would like for the city to remain more independent with its finances and its services. "We are a small, residential city. We can't afford to provide some of these services ourselves," Wright says.

Wright, however, pledges to make the city wiser and more frugal with its spending. "We can't get overly ambitious about our city projects," which include road improvements, streetlight installation and sidewalk construction, Wright says.

It was precisely because of the lack of urban streetscape that Wright and his wife, Jeanine Bugh, decided to move to Monte Sereno 18 years ago. The couple was looking for a home in the area and fell in love with a house on Via Sereno that Wright calls "peaceful and artistic."

They also fell in love with the city. "I like the fact that we don't have streetlights. There aren't many sidewalks. It's a very rural-looking area," Wright says.

The two have participated in a yoga class offered by the Los Gatos­Saratoga Community Education and Recreation Department for the past 16 years.

Now the couple has a house on Grandview Avenue. Living in the two different areas of town has given Wright two different perspectives—one of an "acre-lot" resident, and one of a subdivision dweller.

Wright made a last-minute decision to join the city council race after he was contacted by an old neighbor who "wasn't satisfied with all of the choices." Wright had also discussed running with another neighbor, Councilwoman Suzanne Jackson.

Wright sees joining the council as a volunteer position, since the city was founded on volunteer values.

"You have to get people who are willing to step up and do some community service," Wright says. "There's a whole life beyond the high-tech Silicon Valley."

If elected, Wright hopes to turn the city's focus outward, toward regional issues and participation. "We tend to be pretty insular," Wright says. "We have to keep our character but also be part of the solution." Wright says he is more than willing to serve on various regional committees and organizations as part of the council responsibilities.

In the meantime, Wright is doing his homework. He is wading through a history of Monte Sereno written by the city's founder and first mayor, Admiral Thomas B. Inglis. That's not only for political education purposes, but also to satisfy Wright's appetite for all sorts of history. One of Wright's hobbies is designing and publishing miniature games, painting the pieces for historical and fantasy wars.

Wright is also interested in the arts, and is currently taking hip-hop classes at a San Jose dance studio. Admittedly, Wright knows little about pop culture, having once trained to be a professional ballet dancer.

Along with dancing and painting, Wright is a member of the local Rotary Club. Through that organization, Wright has done networking with influential Los Gatans and has done community service for the Great Race and cleanup at Los Gatos High School.