Know the Facts – Truth About The Financials & Contracts – Corruption – False Attacks

Click to Download the “Know The Facts Brochure”

The Majority Council bloc doesn’t want you to know the details. Over the past 4 years, the actions and votes by the opposition have put us at risk of a financial crisis & significant impact on the quality of life, especially in Northside, Santa Clara.

Know the Facts on the False Attack Ads

Text of the brochure.

A. DIRECT IMPACT ON QUALITY OF LIFE 

• Significant Increase In New Developments in Northside without Balanced Support
  • 15,000 New Housing units = 35,000 People – HUGE Housing Development Increase 
    • 35,000 NEW residents expected in Northside from 15,000 new housing units currently planned for Northside, Santa Clara District 1. This does NOT include the ones planned for the future.
    • NO Northside AREA PLAN for Growth, New Developments, Stadium, Convention Center, Great America, Companies, and all the existing residents
      • There is no Area Plan for Northside that considers the impact and necessary improvements on infrastructure, traffic, transportation, services, schools etc. Consider the impact of all that is and will be in District 1: City Place – entertainment district, the Stadium, Convention Center, Great America Amusement Park, the 15,000 new housing units, existing residents. Imagine the parking and traffic issues now and when the new units are added.
      • No Public Transportation Plan for Northside
      • No Traffic Management Plan For Northside
      • No Infrastructure Plan For Northside
      • No Community Services Plan For Northside
      • No Retail Plan For Northside
      • No School Land Use Plan Northside
• Parking Spots Cut From Phase 1 of Entertainment District – City Place
  • Community benefit lost + traffic/ parking burden increased on residents by approving that Related  Co. cut 240 parking spots from the City Place, Phase 1 of the project. Located in front of the stadium in District 1 .
  • Developer Saved $16M but NO traffic mitigation or community benefits provided for the residents in return. Huge impact on the residents with more parking issues in District 1.
• $34 M Deficit  with only $80M in Reserves
  • We have been running a deficit for few years, and now it’s worsened by COVID. The council majority bloc cut multiple revenue streams out. Poor planning and risk management planning.
• $28M to be paid by residents because of council increase in Garbage Rate:
  • $1.9M x 15yrs is pushed to customers/ residents with garbage rate hike of 28  –  68% per household
• $$$$ Loss of rent revenue—City Place land leased for $0 until the project starts:
  •  Revenue lost on rent from from Related Co on +250 acres . The land was leased for free to Related Co until City Place project is built.
  • (The project is already years behind. The City gave away land for free that was creating revenue)
• >$4M CVRA Legal Fees:
  • spent so far appealing the 6 Districts even though residents voted to approve it.
• $710K/yr City Manager Annual Salary & Benefits:
  • Majority bloc including my opponent, the incumbent Kathy W, approved the City Manager package (not including the future pensions to be paid). Top salary and benefits in the state of California, even more than much larger cities (Santa Clara population ranks 45th in California) with more resources.
• 76% of City Budget is Employee Salaries & Benefits
  • The top executives = $3.4M /yr
  • Does not include the future pensions to be paid
• $340M  In loans left to be paid  from the total +$1.27B  on the Stadium Loan
  • Continuous legal fees due because they made a weak contract and can’t manage them
  • ===>$10,000/avg. per household to pay if CITY doesn’t pay back
• Stadium Brought By Mayor Lisa Gillmor, Kathy Watanabe, and others. Directly Affecting the Northside
  • Against the wishes of the residents BUT they could NOT manage the relationship and prevent the impact on the residents.
  • MEASURE J – Kathy Watanabe and Lisa Gillmor worked with 49ers PAC and spent $4M to convince the residents. Repeating- they actually worked hard and behind the scene to bring the Stadium to Santa Clara!! Watch the video
• $$$ Revenue Lost by the Stadium Authority for not managing the  stadium properly (Council members = Stadium Authority)
• ~$130M/Yr  Lost by Removal of Visitors Bureau in 2018:
  • $130M/Yr Economic benefit lost per year by the City of Santa Clara and businesses by cutting Visitors Bureau (City’s marketing arm) in June 2018. Cut without another service provider.
  • Consultants hired in 2018 to identify a new provider by 2019. Yet, it’s 2020, NO new provider and consultant contracts continue to be EXTENDED repeatedly … 
  • Have already paid $500k in fees for the consultant but no results (from 2018 till almost end of 2020)
  • Still NO Visitors Bureau today

AND MORE ……….