Three candidates seem to be running a friendly race for the powerful District Three Santa Clara County Supervisor seat. On April 30, Milpitas Chamber of Commerce hosted an hour-long candidates' forum, where no barbs were traded among the three men, and where many of their responses to questions on the county's growing budget deficit, health care, social services and their plan to boost the economy of Silicon Valley, were similar.

Moderated by the chamber Government Affairs Director Frank De Smidt, the forum included San Jose Vice Mayor Dave Cortese, Milpitas Mayor Jose Esteves and Sunnyvale City Councilman Otto Lee, who responded to questions posed by editors from the Milpitas Post Newspaper.

Cortese, a two-term councilman, and Esteves, a three-term mayor, both term out of their respective elected offices at the end of the year. Lee, a two-term councilman who saw re-election to Sunnyvale City Council last year, terms out in 2011.

At the outcome of the June 3 election, the successful candidate will replace Supervisor Pete McHugh, who oversees a district that includes Milpitas, Sunnyvale and the Alviso, Berryessa and Evergreen areas of San Jose. If no candidate captures a majority of the votes in June, a runoff will be held in November.

The forum, which drew about 30 people to Milpitas City Hall's Council Chambers, used a timed, question-and-answer format that touched on the county's ailing budget, health care, moving Elmwood Correctional Facility out of Milpitas, greater inclusion of limited or non-English speaking groups in the affairs of county government, public safety and crime, and the role of non-profit groups in providing public services to county residents, among others.

Candidates were asked what their "economic stimulus plan" for Santa Clara County would entail.

Cortese suggested a one-time stimulus plan would not fix the county's ongoing estimated $150-million-plus deficit.

"The county's not in a great position, unlike the federal government, which can deficit spend," he said.

Cortese added the county needed to do a better job of securing state and federal monies for infrastructure improvements to the county's educational system, as well as road and transit networks.

Esteves said the county needed to leverage revenue from state, federal and grant sources to improve Santa Clara County.

"We have to court businesses into the county, we have to invite them so we have jobs," Esteves said.

He added volunteers from the community also needed to muster efforts to aid the county's social and health services networks.

Likewise, Lee suggested the county needed to grow its revenue base, and needed to use under utilized lands, which may potentially include development of the Santa Clara County Fairgrounds with retail, to increase county property and sales taxes.

"Another area that I would like look into is the Ôgreen' environment issue," Lee said, adding solar, wind and other sustainable technologies could bring more jobs to Silicon Valley.

A similar question essentially asked candidates what additional new steps would they use to balance the county budget.

Cortese suggested continuing the county's strategy of freezing employee positions, and to "stem the tide of spending."

"And you make sure you don't spend the money on things that are unnecessary," Cortese said.

He suggested the county needed to work more collaboratively with local cities to make sure retail opportunities were created and retained.

"That sales tax is what pays for your local government," Cortese said, suggesting a targeted sales tax increase may be in order. "Property tax is going to be on the decline; the next couple of years are going to be tougher than they have been."

Esteves said he wanted to keep track of costs within the county.

"I want to make sure that every penny will be spent wisely," he said.

Esteves added no duplication of services should occur with county-run programs. He added on the revenue side, the county needed to "explore all the possibilities," including long-term and short-term economic development.

Lee said the county should consider using San Jose's Reid-Hillview Airport site for more development.

To create cost savings, Lee added the county should look for ways to eliminate duplicated services within its various departments.

"I think it makes sense to work together to eliminate a lot of the stovepipe mentality," Lee said.

The candidates were then asked what Santa Clara County's biggest challenge is, and what measures the Board of Supervisors should be taking toward solutions.

"Public safety is by far the most critical issue now," Cortese said. "We're into a period of that we haven't seen since the '90s in this county, where youth crime is escalating all over the county. In every city in the county it's a problem."

Cortese said solutions included early intervention and prevention, and to form greater collaboration between law enforcement agencies and school districts.

Esteves said Santa Clara County needed to take on more regional leadership in many issues including public safety, economic development, traffic, transportation and housing.

"Those are the things that we can work on... we'll make Silicon Valley a leader in the county as the No. 1 place to live, to work and for technology," Esteves said.

Besides the budget, Lee said public safety was the county's next biggest challenge, including the apparent rise in gang activity.

"I think it is so important to stop gang recruitment," Lee said.

New gang members, he added, included children ages 13 to 17 years old.

"We're not talking about 20-year-olds; 13- and 17-year-olds should be in school," Lee said.

He further suggested police and school districts should work together to prevent the cycle of drugs and gangs.

Another question asked the candidates if they would continue the Board of Supervisors' push for zero-investment in the Santa Clara County Fair to make it self-supporting.

Cortese suggested that he wanted to see change at the county fair, including having better management there and seeing it become self-supporting.

"It's really a travesty that the county fairgrounds is really in the condition that it's in. I think it's a travesty that it's losing money. I'm glad the county has a request for proposals now for putting (the fairgrounds) to some interim use," Cortese said.

Esteves agreed.

"We have other programs that have a higher priority," Esteves said, adding all county programs should be self-supporting. "So bottom line, it should not be zero, but it should not be a cost as well."

Lee suggested the county fair was not an area where the county should continue to spend money.

"The county fairgrounds itself is an area that we could use for development," Lee said, adding the county fair might continue at a future site farther south in the county.

Another question asked whether the candidates favored moving high-value county-owned land onto the development market, as was done with the surplus land around Elmwood Correctional Facility in Milpitas.

Cortese said opportunities existed for developing Reid-Hillview Airport as well as the county fairgrounds.

"Clearly there's some surplus opportunities there," Cortese said.

Esteves and Lee both agreed county officials should look at developing Reid-Hillview as well as other options or locations around the county.

A similar question focused on closing Elmwood jail due to many residents' concerns that it strains Milpitas' police and fire resources and is increasingly out of place with residential and auto mall developments around it. The question further asked whether centralizing jail facilities in downtown San Jose or elsewhere in the county made better sense.

"I think that there's a good chance of doing that," Cortese said.

For his part, Esteves said he wanted to build a case against Elmwood to move the jail away from Milpitas.

"I want to get Elmwood out of this place," he said.

Likewise, Lee suggested that area was less and less favorable for a correctional facility and that Elmwood should be relocated.

"It would make a lot of sense," Lee said.

Another question asked whether a conflict of interest existed in Mayor Esteves who works for the county courts system running for and sitting on the Board of Supervisors. A related question asked Esteves whether his opponents' professions posed a conflict of interest.

The three candidates tactfully responded to both questions.

"I'm not aware of any conflict of interest issues," Cortese said.

He added that he chaired City of San Jose's ethics and open government panel and disclosed all public contacts through his work.

Esteves suggested his work as an elected official was always "ethical."

"I try to fulfill the obligations to the best of my abilities," he said, adding he had not missed a single Milpitas City Council meeting.

Lee said he wanted to take "the high road" while running in this race, especially with regard to his longtime friend Esteves. He added there was no perception of a conflict of interest on the part of Milpitas' mayor.

"I do believe he will carry himself honorably," Lee said.

The three candidates closed with reasons voters should consider them as their next county representative.

Cortese noted his years of private and public sector experience. He also noted how he was part of balancing City of San Jose's budget each year he was on San Jose City Council.

Cortese noted that his call to politics was in general like a call to "a ministry."

"To help people on a day to day level," he said.

Esteves said he had proven leadership as a mayor of Milpitas in helping to bring business and economic growth to the city.

And as a supervisor, Esteves said he wanted to bring more jobs to allow families in the county to thrive.

Lee said his campaign reinforced what he called the "Three Greens": money, the environment and public safety.