In an abrupt, delicate, complimentary and unexpected letter, City Clerk Rod Diridon Jr., submitted his resignation as Santa Clara City Clerk Tuesday night.
Diridon has been one of the brightest members of Santa Clara City staff for years. His work has been recognized by his peers from other California cities who have acknowleged him with the highest honors and awards.
While he has been recognized as a leader among leaders in the arena of City Clerks, he has been given little regard by our City Council majority.
Diridon is not only bright, he is a great all-round person. A great husband and father with a rich history and heritage of political service to Santa Clara.
It is no wonder he was lured away by Silicon Valley’s high tech industry.
It had to be difficult for Dirdon, who served eight years on City Council and thirteen years as City Clerk. He has watched the gradual erosion of Santa Clara’s charm and appeal blur into the Gillmor Guillotine of decapitate and spend.
As this Council majority has continued to bring to our City the largest payroll in history with many outside consultants given multi-six figure contracts, quality members of City staff have been virtually ignored…including Diridon.
When you look at the last three hires in our City these newcomers were brought in at salaries one and a half to two times what he was earning after 21 years of public service.
While Diridon indicated his appreciation of the Council, it was obvious there was an unspoken rift brewing between he and Council Member Debi Davis. If you watch the reading of his letter during Tuesday night’s Council meeting, Davis never looked at him once. When Diridon stood to shake hands with Council Members, Davis was omitted.
Since Diridon was elected in November 2016, he has been a target of the Gillmor Group.
Diridon is not only bright, he is a stickler for ethics in politics, working diligently to bring a transparent style of government to Santa Clara.
Ethics Chair Davis stole Diridon’s vocabulary and assigned her own definitions, so the word “transparent” now means anything that you don’t get caught doing.
So, Diridon joins the decapitated team of talent who have left our City.
Because he is such a gentleman, he did not, and would not make any critical comments. That is not his style.
However, his abrupt public anouncment through his letter delivered hours before this week’s Council meeting speaks like a Webster’s dictionary.
The public needs to know that our City’s talented team has once again been successfully cut off at the knees… and the pocketbook.
The Gillmor Group has won another round.
It has been said that for bad people to be in charge, good people need to do nothing.
Rod…you were a prince among frogs. God bless and godspeed to your next success.
