Defying the law of gravity and the very purpose for their existence, Mayor Gillmor and her Council majority thumbed their collective noses at our Charter Review Committee.
Our City Charter has stood the tests of assault by various political powers for decades.
Thanks to a solid representation of our citizenry, the Charter Review Committee has collectively arrived at sound decisions decade after decade until…now.
It’s not that the CRC didn’t make a solid decision. In fact, just the opposite. They just made a decision that didn’t line up with Mayor Gillmor and her Council Cluster Comrades.
The CRC voted to leave our Charter alone since it is working very well.
Each of the CRC members present at City Council spoke favorably of our Charter and the intention to separate elected offices of power like the City Clerk, Police Chief and Council members. The one exception was the Mayor’s surrogate, Tino Silva, who favored a change.
Separation of power is the pedestal upon which balance of power in politics is preserved.
This is a problem for Mayor Gillmor.
Elected offices and officers are a threat to the Gillmor political machine.
If Mike Sellers had not been elected Chief of Police in 2016, we would probably have a bike and creek trail running through the middle of our stadium.
The abrupt departure of our City Clerk, Rod Diridon, Jr., was the exact opening Gillmor needed to test the temperature for a Charter Change.
The temperature was cold which made her hot!
While the CRC told her no change was necessary, she would not hear it.
“The residents want to be heard,” she argued. “We need this issue on the ballot.” So, in one short sentence she proclaimed the Charter change would go on the ballot. O’Neill, Wantanabe and Davis joined in with their majority vote and another dam of democracy was damaged.
Pat Mahan and Dominc Caserta voted as the CRC suggested, to leave our Charter untouched.
The Mayor believes she can persuade voters to change the Charter.
Now, a defeat of a Charter change in June would be a significant blow to the Mayor’s ramrod blitzkrieg, “capture the city” power play.
No Madam Mayor, your comments are not the truth. Residents are not clamoring to change our Charter. You are mandating this vote in hopes you can eliminate another elected office.
You are running scared and you need to eliminate all the elected positions possible so you can eliminate opposition and appoint “yes ma’am” zombies. You have done an astonishing job at pushing out some great and respected employees of our City.
When it comes to the BIG election, residents will have the opportunity to push you out as well.
Santa Clara take note: tell your friends, your neighbors and anyone who votes in Santa Clara.
When Santa Clarans’ have had enough…they don’t get mad, they just vote.