Indio Mayor Michael H. Wilson, who is both popular and sometimes controversial, was unanimously elected this week chairman of the Coachella Valley Association of Governments’ Executive Committee for fiscal year 2018-19.
The unconditional support from his peers is a sure vote of confidence in Wilson’s leadership abilities as he makes a bid for re-election to the Indio City Council in November. Wilson served as Vice Chairman for the 2017-18 fiscal year.
Wilson was in Monterey this week where city officials from across the state were gathered for the League of Cities meeting. As such, he was not immediately available for comment.
CVAG’s Executive Committee is primarily made up of the cities’ mayors, tribal chairs and the five county supervisors. The membership roster is here.
Indio Mayor Michael Wilson, 2018-19 CVAG Chairman; Agua Caliente Band of Cahuilla Indians Chairman Jeff Grubbe, 2018-19 CVAG Vice Chairman; Riverside County Supervisor Marion Ashley, 2017-18 CVAG Chairman; and CVAG Executive Director Tom Kirk. The jersey was a gift to the Chairman, who is a huge Dodgers fan. It was signed by Executive Committee members.
Wilson received not only unanimous support from the Executive Committee but also the General Assembly, said Erica Felci, CVAG’s Governmental Projects Manager. The General Assembly meets annually and its members are every elected official from CVAG’s member jurisdictions.
Agua Caliente Band of Cahuilla Indians Chairman Jeff Grubbe was elected vice chairman.
The Executive Committee serves as CVAG’s governing council, meeting almost monthly to set policy, approve projects and more.
Wilson’s ascent to the leadership post should come as little surprise. He is well-versed in policy and regulation and is knowledgeable about infrastructure. But beyond that, Wilson is – and has been – one of the most vocal supporters of CV Link, which like him, is both popular and sometimes controversial.
CV Link is a $100 million, 50-mile transportation corridor in the Coachella Valley. Led by the Coachella Valley Association of Governments (CVAG), CV Link is a plan to combine pedestrians, bicyclists, and low-speed electric vehicles (including golf carts) on a dual pathway. CV Link was designed to connect Coachella Valley cities and the lands of three federally recognized tribes with a path that largely parallels Highway 111, the busiest corridor in the valley.
