The City of Scotts Valley, with a population of 12,000, is located in the picturesque Santa Cruz Mountains just six miles northeast of Santa Cruz and its popular beaches and boardwalk, yet only twenty miles from San Jose and Silicon Valley. Incorporated in 1966, Scotts Valley is a General Law city operating under a Council/Manager form of government. The stable and professional five-member City Council is elected to four-year overlapping terms, and fellow Council Members select the Mayor and Vice Mayor on an annual basis.