(a) The government of the VTA shall be vested in a board of directors which shall consist of 12 members, as follows:
(1) Two representatives of the county and one alternate who shall be members of the board of supervisors of the county, appointed by the board of supervisors.
(2) Five representatives of the City of San Jose and one alternate who shall be city council members or the mayor of the City of San Jose, appointed by the city council.
(3) Five city council members or mayors selected from among the city councils and mayors of all of the cities in the county, other than the City of San Jose, as provided by agreements among those cities. The agreements may provide for the appointment of alternates, who shall be city council members or mayors, for those city representatives.
(b) An alternate may vote in the place of a director represented by that alternate if the director is absent.
(c) To the extent possible, the appointing powers shall appoint individuals who have expertise, experience, or knowledge relative to transportation issues.