Milestones – Make Your Own Law? – Opinion

Santa Clara Mayor Lisa Gillmor and City Attorney Brian Doyle continue their raiding of the public treasury in the name of City business.

The amount of city money spent by these two (with the approval of City Manager Deanna Santana) would make Jeff Bezos blush!

Thanks to the coverage by The Weekly and Silicon Valley Voice, residents are aware that Attorney Doyle and Mayor Gillmor have cost Santa Clara millions.

Now, other local publications are referencing our stories ferreting out the waste, questionable conduct, and specious salaries that defy gravity in Santa Clara.

Just about the time you think you have seen it all…there’s more. It was a major shock to discover Doyle concealed critical correspondence from the City Council. If that wasn’t enough, he has consistently been inconsistent. His interpretations of the law have been consistently questionable, and he continues to insist he is still correct.

Really? Santa Clara has been sued so many times and for so much money, attorney Doyle has come up with another interpretation of the law to hide these facts. Doyle has made an arbitrary decision that “the amount of legal fees paid to outside attorneys are protected by attorney-client privilege” and therefore are not to be disclosed. He now makes his own law.

This is exactly why all city costs must continue to be disclosed to the press and to the public. He is the only attorney we can find in California who endorses this interpretation. That is not a good endorsement.

Think back with me for a minute and recall just this one “it should not have happened” lawsuit. Remember David’s Restaurant and his banquet facilities across from the Stadium? Santa Clara had leased the golf course restaurant to David and when his lease came up for renewal the City would not renew it. They wanted to make way for the heralded Related Project that would bring the city millions. However, Santa Clara didn’t close the golf course for two more years and residents are still waiting for Related to pound the first nail.

The City had also leased David the banquet building next door, which came to be known as just David’s. Gillmor and the City Council at the time ignored the fact that David had 10 years left on this banquet property lease. They brought an “eminent domain” suit against David and claimed the property for infrastructure needed for the Related Project. That was in 2018 and Related hasn’t shown up yet.  Adding to the insult, the City offered David $5,000 for his “trouble” on his remaining 10-year lease.

Of course, David sued Santa Clara and his case is scheduled for a jury trial on Sept. 13, 2021. He’s asking for $5 million, a lot more than he would have settled for had the City made a reasonable offer. This is just one of the costly cases Doyle craves to cover up. How long will Santa Clara keep paying for attorney Doyle’s abysmal blunders?

If you are a Santa Clara resident, ask your council representative; “Why are you still employing Brian Doyle, compensating him $400,000 a year of taxpayers’ money for his shameful and costly legal advice?”