Voter guide · Nov 3, 2026

Milpitas Mayor & City Council Election 2026

3 of 5

council seats up

2 contests

9 candidates

Updated Oct 2, 2026. Every claim links to its source. How we check →

The candidates

Listed alphabetically by last name. Every position links to its source.

Mayor · 1 seat

Hon LienCity Councilmember, term ends 202615sourced
Carmen MontanoIncumbentMayor of Milpitas since 2022 and a former councilmember and Milpitas Unified School District board member; her ballot designation is Mayor / Educator.11sourced
Voltaire MontemayorRetired geologist and community volunteer who has served in local civic groups; this is his sixth run for mayor. He did not file a ballot statement.4sourced
Santosh SahooRuns a small software company after leadership roles at companies including Microsoft and IBM; first run for office. He did not file a ballot statement.4sourced

City Council · Vote for up to 2

Every Milpitas voter picks one candidate for mayor and up to two for City Council; the top vote-getter for mayor and the top two council candidates win.

2 notes on these statements

Santosh Sahoo, Voltaire Montemayor and Ha Phan did not file candidate statements for the voter guide. City of Milpitas certified list of qualified candidates · Aug 13, 2026

Councilmember Hon Lien's council term ends this year, and she is running for mayor. The Milpitas Beat · Aug 27, 2026

Already on the council, not on the ballot

Whoever you elect will govern alongside these members.

Evelyn ChuaCity Councilmember, term ends 20286sourced William LamCity Councilmember, term ends 20285sourced

Officeholders' pages compare what they've said with how they've voted, with sources.

Start here

Match quiz7 questions · answers stay on your phone Seat the CouncilPick winners, see the council What council decidesThe city budget, Measure K: business tax, City Hall turnover Key datesDeadlines and vote centers

Next date

Vote-by-mail ballots mailed (starting the week of)

Mon, Oct 5, 2026

TodayAll key dates

What the next council decides

The city budget

Where it standsThe council adopted the 2026-27 budget in June 2026 and set aside $1.6 million of projected surplus toward a forecast 2027-28 General Fund shortfall.

What's on the tableHow to close forecast deficits: new revenue, reserves, or spending cuts.

The council also voted 5-0 to put an additional $1.6 million of projected 2025-26 excess revenue toward the projected 2027-28 General Fund shortfall. City Council special meeting minutes, 2026-06-09 · Jun 9, 2026
City staff have forecast a deficit of over $19 million by 2031, driven mainly by rising labor and benefit costs. The Mercury News · Sep 21, 2026

Measure K: business tax

Where it standsThe council voted unanimously on Aug. 3, 2026, to put Measure K, a new business tax based on gross receipts, on the Nov. 3 ballot.

What's on the tableVoters decide Measure K; the council decides how to spend General Fund money it raises.

Measure K would replace the city's 1976 per-employee business tax with a tax based on gross receipts, starting Jan. 1, 2028. City Attorney's impartial analysis of Measure K
The city estimates Measure K would raise about $3.0 million a year. City of Milpitas
The Silicon Valley Taxpayers Association and the Libertarian Party of Santa Clara County oppose the measure. The Mercury News · Sep 21, 2026

City Hall turnover

Where it standsWillie Hopkins became city manager in May 2026, the sixth person in that job in seven years.

What's on the tableHow the council works with the city manager and staff, and whether council pay rises as scheduled.

The council voted unanimously on May 19, 2026, to appoint Willie Hopkins Jr. as city manager, the sixth person to hold the job in seven years. The Mercury News · May 27, 2026
Interim City Manager Deanna Santana told the council in October 2025 that she had resigned, effective Oct. 31, 2025. City Council minutes, 2025-10-21 · Oct 21, 2025
In September 2025 the council voted 4-1 to have staff bring back an ordinance setting council pay at $22,800 and mayor's pay at $27,600 a year, effective after the November 2026 election. City Council minutes, 2025-09-02 · Sep 2, 2025

Housing and growth

Where it standsThe council has adopted the Gateway-Main Street plan and a transit-area zoning overlay to carry out the state's SB 79.

What's on the tableWhich housing projects to approve, and on what terms.

In October 2025 the council voted 5-0 to adopt the Gateway-Main Street Specific Plan. City Council special meeting minutes, 2025-10-28 · Oct 28, 2025
In May 2026 the council voted 5-0 to create a transit-oriented development overlay zone implementing Senate Bill 79. City Council minutes, 2026-05-19 · May 19, 2026
In May 2026 the council approved 109 townhomes and 10 accessory units at 1320 McCandless Dr., raising the developer's community benefit payment from $400,000 to $700,000. City Council minutes, 2026-05-19 · May 19, 2026

Milpitas Food Pantry rent

Where it standsThe pantry pays about $1.21 a month for a city building; in May 2026 the council discussed raising it toward market rate.

What's on the tableThe pantry's rent and whether the city funds it.

The Milpitas Food Pantry is in a city-owned building at 1440 S. Main Street. The Milpitas Beat · Jun 6, 2026
At its May 5, 2026, meeting the council discussed raising the pantry's rent to market rate, which pantry representatives say is over $5,000. The Milpitas Beat · Jun 6, 2026
In June 2026 a proposal to budget $120,000 for the pantry's rent did not reach consensus and was deferred for staff research. City Council special meeting minutes, 2026-06-09 · Jun 9, 2026

Who matches you?

Answer any of these questions. We compare your answers with each person's sourced record, and nothing is stored. Questions where no one has a sourced record yet are left out. Tap a selected answer again to skip it.

1. Measure K would replace Milpitas's 1976 per-employee business tax with a tax based on gross receipts, raising an estimated $3 million a year. Where do you stand?
2. City staff forecast General Fund deficits in the coming years. What should the city do first?
3. After this election, council pay rises to $22,800 a year and the mayor's to $27,600. Which comes closest to your view?
4. Milpitas has had six city managers in seven years. How involved should the council be in city staffing?
5. When approving large housing projects, should the council push developers to pay more in voluntary community benefits?
6. State law requires Milpitas to plan for much more housing. What should the city's main housing focus be?
7. The Milpitas Food Pantry rents a city building for about $1 a month. What should the city do?

Seat the Council →

Pick a winner for each open seat and see where the resulting council stands on each issue.

Key dates

Vote-by-mail ballots mailed (starting the week of)Santa Clara County Registrar of VotersOct 5, 2026
Early voting opens at the Registrar of Voters officeSanta Clara County Registrar of VotersOct 5, 2026
Last day to register to voteSanta Clara County Registrar of VotersOct 19, 2026
Last day to request a replacement mail ballot by mailSanta Clara County Registrar of VotersOct 27, 2026
Election DaySanta Clara County Registrar of VotersNov 3, 2026

The seat math

2 stay (not up this year): Evelyn Chua, William Lam3 on this ballot

5 council seats. The council decides by a 3-vote majority.

The council has five members: a mayor elected directly for a two-year term and four councilmembers elected at large for four-year terms. Santa Clara County Registrar of Voters
The mayor may serve up to six consecutive years and councilmembers two consecutive four-year terms. The Milpitas Beat · Jul 16, 2026
On the Nov. 3 ballot: the mayor's seat and the two council seats held by Garry Barbadillo and Hon Lien. City of Milpitas
Also on the city ballot: Measure K, which would replace the city's business tax with one based on gross receipts. City Attorney's impartial analysis of Measure K

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