When it comes to politics, Santa Clara has experienced more than the average community in Silicon Valley.
Imagine having a city mayor that has spent a total of 19 (1992-2000, 2011-2022) years on Santa Clara City Council over the past four decades. Now this record might be impressive if the City was exploding in the right direction. Profitable growth, objective construction, healthy development and visionary ideas would be ideal.
However, for Mayor Lisa Gillmor, it’s not the case. Reelection at any cost has totally absorbed her energy, misdirected leadership and steamrollered foresight and planning.
Gillmor’s guillotine has decimated organizations, departments, key staff and budgets. Any organization or staff member in existence that she imagined might threaten or challenge her reelection was subdued, emasculated or eliminated.
Gillmor was appointed to council in 2016 following the abrupt resignation of Mayor Jamie Matthews. She shrewdly and slyly lobbied the council through her proxy council associates — Teresa O’Neill, Debbie Davis and Kathy Watanabe — to appoint her the new mayor…and they did.
Gillmor and her gang formed a council majority, making decisions of huge magnitude that were almost unbelievable.
Within weeks, long-term trusted, talented and tenured employees were driven out of Santa Clara.
Replacements were hired that would support the Gillmor way with allegiance at any cost. That’s how Santa Clara wound up with an $800,000 a year city manager.
The $53 million surplus left by former city manager Julio Fuentes was rapidly burned through by Gillmor. Her foolish spending sprees did not stop and the City now sits with a $19 million dollar deficit.
And Gillmor is running for mayor again?
You must ask: What objectives, achievements and plan for the future can she be running on?
Mayor Lisa Gillmor is interested in only one issue and that is the reelection of Lisa Gillmor as Mayor.
Forget about the long-term, trusted employees of yesteryear, the booming budget the City once had when she was first elected, the disrepair of City properties, the multiple lawsuits Gillmor has caused and created. Her actions have only one objective…her reelection.
When you think about the accomplishments of Mayor Lisa Gillmor, what has she really done for you and the City of Santa Clara? That’s your answer.
Why is she still there?