Software developer Guy Johnson pulled election papers July 12 to join Mayor Steve Glickman and community services commissioner Barry Bakken in the race.

Monte Sereno City Councilman David Baxter, whose term expires at the end of the year, is also running for re-election.

Johnson said he made the decision to run for council after completing the Leadership Los Gatos class, co-sponsored by the Chamber of Commerce and the town, with an additional nudge from outgoing Councilwoman Sandy Decker. A relative newcomer, Johnson came to Los Gatos from New York by way of Austin, Texas, two years ago.

"When I first moved to California, I shopped around for a place to live," he told the Los Gatos Weekly-Times. "Los Gatos seems like a great place to get involved. It seems like a place that really understands what community is."

Johnson said he would like to serve on the council for three reasons: to represent younger voters (he is 30 years old), to provide a progressive viewpoint in town discussions and to help community members.

"I really have a passion for the sense of community," he said. "Anything that helps to build relations among residents is where I'm going to be focusing... One smile on the street corner from somebody locally might be what gives you the energy to get through the day."

Baxter said his decision comes from a desire to continue working on projects the Monte Sereno council is currently tackling.

"One, of course, is pedestrian and bicycle traffic safety, which was a concern of mine when I first got on council," he said. "Most visible right now is Highway 9 and the activities that are surrounding that. In the past four years, we've worked on traffic calming, and I would like to see us do more work in that area as well."

The councilman, who was elected to office in 2000, said he also wants to ensure the town manages its finances responsibly.

"We have continued to run with budget surpluses," he said. "The city is in a very strong financial position. With all of the challenges you have with regional and municipal budgets, I'd like to work through the challenges in the coming years."

Mayor Erin Garner's council term also expires this year, but he was out of town at the opening of the filing period. An employee in the city clerk's office said Baxter was the only one to pick up filing materials as of press time.

Baxter said he expects Garner to run for re-election, but that he did not know for sure.

According to Los Gatos Town Clerk Marian Cosgrove, Treasurer Linda Lubeck will also campaign to be re-elected to her position.