Mike Morowit is the comeback kid of Manteca politics.

First elected in 2014, Morowit came up 55 votes short in his bid for re-election four years later when he was edged by Jose Nuno for the last of two seats in a citywide election.

Morowit was sworn in Tuesday as the first District 4 council member to represent the area of Manteca north of Louise Avenue west of Highway 99.

He garnered 85.45 percent of the votes cast to defeat opponent Nancy Watson.

In terms of Manteca trivia that makes Morowit the first person to be elected to the council  after previously losing a re-election bid.

There have been others, though, who were appointed when council vacancies occurred after they were defeated.

Morowit sees the four-year gap between terms as providing him a unique perspective.

Morowit, 57, said he can draw on his previous experience and wed it with what he’s seen occur in the city governance during the past four years and work with his elected colleagues to find the best way to move Manteca forward.

His response to critics that paint his election as a sign Manteca will be dragged backwards by somehow reviving “the old council” by simply saying, “you mean the council that got things done.”

Morowit’s involvement in the community and ultimately Manteca politics can be traced back to a call he received years ago from Father Morse of St. Anthony’s Catholic Church.

Morse told Morowit — who is Jewish by faith and had married a Catholic and whose daughter attended the church’s parochial school at the time— that his name came up as someone who would be a good fit to serve on the school’s parent advisory council.

Among those on the board then was Councilman Vince Hernandez.

That eventually led to him becoming involved with a number of community activities well as serving on the Measure M Public Safety Sales Tax Citizens Oversight Committee as well as the Manteca Planning Commission from 2007 to 2014.

He was elected to the council in 2014.

Morowit has stayed involved in local government since leaving the council serving as a citizen representative on the San Joaquin Area Flood County Agency board and the San Joaquin Local Agency Formation Commission.

Morowit has owned Miner Mart Liquor for 28 years in the Lincoln Center on West Yosemite Avenue. Prior to that he was a route salesman that supplied stores such as his with groceries and candy.
As a teen he worked weekends at the liquor store his father and mother Jack and Elaine Morowit owned in Hayward for 40 years. His dad’s father also owned a store.

The last thing he ever wanted to do was to own his own store. He went to college and secured a degree in criminal justice and worked with the Alameda County probation department several years before becoming a route salesman.

 Morowit said when the store came up for sale he jumped at the chance to buy it.

At the time he hadn’t heard of Manteca.

He never made it this way to Manteca as many teens growing up in the Bay Area did to enjoy the now shuttered Manteca Waterslides because he worked throughout the summer at his father’s store.

Morowit during his campaign said he intends to push for a homeless commission.

“The building is of no consequence to me,” Morowit said in October of the homeless navigation center.

From his perspective, the navigation center is a done deal. The city now owns the land. They also have more than $16 million on hand to build it.

“As an elected official, my job is to make sure  projects are implemented and are done correctly,” Morowit said.

It would be a standing commission much like the Parks & Recreation as well as Planning commissions. It wouldn’t be a one year and done type of thing.

Morowit said that allows three key things to happen.

*It makes sure the community has maximum input into the type of programs offered at the navigation center and operations instead of relying solely on the perspective of one staff member.

*It would provide a venue for community members to bring forward specific issues with homeless in a forum designed to work to collaboration with the public to find solutions.

*It assures staff follow thorough.

The last observation, Morowit said, wasn’t meant to criticize present staff but reflects the reality that has been the case for Manteca for years.

“If staff doesn’t make it a priority, it doesn’t get done,” Morowit said two months ago.

To contact Dennis Wyatt, email dwyatt@mnantecabulletin.com.