Why is City Manager Deanna Santana still employed by Santa Clara?
Residents need to ask their City Council Members this question.
Santana’s nepotism, displayed by hiring former associates to replace long term knowledgeable Santa Clara employees, is outrageous.
For 25 years former City Manager Jennifer Sparacino operated Santa Clara with commendable success. She was a visionary who saw what was needed in Santa Clara and made it happen.
Her accomplishments included Santa Clara’s Convention Center, Golf and Tennis Club, and Youth Activity Center; a dozen new City parks including the Skate and Youth Soccer Parks, rebuilding five fire stations; a new police headquarters, the Rivermark substation, the Central Park Library used by 1.5 million patrons annually; and the Don Von Raesfeld power plant, which produces one-third of the City’s electricity.
What is Deanna Santana known for? Only one thing comes to mind.
Santana has garnered for herself the second largest compensation package (nearly $800,000) in the municipal employee sector of California! This is her major “achievement.”
In addition, Santana hired three cronies as Assistant City Managers at $325,000 each. Do you think these payouts have anything to do with Santa Clara’s 30-million-dollar deficit?
At this point you would have to ask, “Hey, I see the pork, but where’s the beef?”
Can you name one project completed in Santa Clara that Santana has accomplished or would be remembered for? No, neither can anyone else.
Even after she had a few Santa Clara streets repaved, the streetlights are now out of sync, and they have been that way for months.
When the Grand Jury put Santa Clara on their radar, they were met with delays and redirection by Santana’s office. The Grand Jury could not obtain the documents they requested. However, Santana erroneously reported to the City Council the Grand Jury was satisfied with her report and “cooperation.”
No question, Santa Clara residents could see the warning signs early on. Remember when Santana and Mayor Lisa Gillmor conspired to decimate the Chamber of Commerce? Santana hired a former colleague and “auditor” who produced a manufactured audit filled with erroneous allegations which made the Chamber of Commerce look like it was run by Al Capone’s associates. This “auditor’s” history with Santana includes undercutting a highly critical San Jose independent police auditor’s report about police misconduct complaint handling by changing the definition of “complaint” to “inquiry.”
The respect and treatment Santana has given long-term Santa Clara employees and organizations has been appalling. She has moved employees aside, out, or forced them into secondary positions, recruiting cronies to take their place at fat salaries.
Public service in Santa Clara has been reduced to a name only. Even obtaining a simple permit can take hours, days or even weeks. Frankly, the Santa Clara Way has been replaced by Santana’s “golden rule” of self above service.
It is time for City Manager Deanna Santana to depart Santa Clara.
