The best theatrical show in Santa Clara isn’t at the Santa Clara Players or the Roberta Jones Junior Theater. The biggest show in town is the theatrics on the City Council dais.
Every other Tuesday evening, Mayor Lisa Gillmor steps onto the stage and begins her Kabuki knock-down of the fine men and women who serve our proud city. From the mayoral pulpit, Gillmor’s single plotline takes aim at her favorite targets, the 49ers and Levi’s Stadium.
This truth-bending often contradicts the carefully researched information presented by the men and women who serve our city. If these city employees speak so much of a word contrary to Gillmor’s message, they are quickly dismissed by the illustrious mayor who, clearly, knows better than them.
Gillmor’s tired script offers alternative facts to the ones our city employees have researched with the singular plot line of disparaging one of Santa Clara’s greatest business partners.
It is a scene that Santa Clarans know well. Gillmor has done this time and again. In previous iterations of this play, city managers and attorneys have deferred to the mayor lest they fall down the slippery slope of a back-and-forth with Gillmor.
However, lately, the script has changed. New cast members Jovan Grogan and Glen Googins have found a different way to combat Gillmor’s half-truths. With unending patience and grace, they have sidestepped Gillmor’s gotcha attempts and offer up the one thing Gillmor does not have: the truth.
Grogan and Googins have not allowed Gillmor to bend the facts to fit her narrative. They have instead respectfully disagreed and offered full facts in the face of Gillmor’s partial truths.
They have held strong in spite of Gillmor’s unprofessional treatment of them. They have ignored Gillmor’s demeaning tone and spiteful remarks, turning the cheek at every verbal slap in the face.
Congratulations to the strong city manager and city attorney for using the truth to stand up to Mayor Lisa Gillmor and, in the process, standing up for the fine employees of this city.
Previous Milestones:
Milestones – Hypocrisy at its Finest – Opinion
Milestones – Bitter Rarely Makes Better – Opinion
Milestones – Santa Clara, Who? – Opinion
Both Grogan and Googins have done an acceptable job so far. Still, they’ll need continued help from the rest of the Council to provide insulation from backroom deals and ensure that transparency, unvarnished truth, and continued financial improvement are the path forward.
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Gillmor will term out in December 2026. The next 20 months will go by fast so residents need to start looking at potential mayoral successors, I believe either Chahal/or Hardy would be fantastic candidates. Their seats also term out in 2026 so competent and trustworthy council candidates need to be identified in District 2 & 3 as well.
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For nine years, residents have suffered through Gillmor’s theatrics on the Council dais, but it’s what’s happening behind the curtain that residents have to fear. You can bet she, the SCPOA, and Related Companies are already looking for their puppets to try and turn city business in their favor. Residents can avoid another ten years of infighting and bickering by coming together in neighborhoods and seeking one of their own to represent them. And that needs to happen soon.
I should run for mayor next year. I have a list of priorities that I would use executive orders to bypass the city council and elections.
I would immediately impose tariffs on all sports and entertainment events in Santa Clara, as well as all data center transactions.
I would not allow multi family and high density housing south of El Camino.
Council meetings would be shortened by eliminating recognition of community groups and individuals. Zoom call ins would not be allowed. If you have see something to say, then show up to the meeting. Council members would be limited to 2 minute speeches. The mayor would get 5 minutes.
Our neighborhoods would be improved by implementing a phone resource where citizens can report properties that do not meet minimum standards. Too many weeds, lack of landscaping, and houses that leave their garbage in the front yard. All of these situations would result in fines if not corrected in a timely manner.
These are some my ideas to make Santa Clara great again, to return to being the Mission City.