One of Santa Clara’s most undivulged secrets is the Related project, which was once home to Santa Clara’s 240-acre golf course.
In a deal made between Related and Mayor Lisa Gillmor and her council majority at the time, this property has been tied up for years. Until just recently, there had been no rent or lease money paid to the City. Part of the property still sits undeveloped and rent-free.
In addition, the housing, booming new businesses, entertainment district and retail outlets that were promised have not developed.
Whenever Gillmor needs big-time capital for her candidacy or her proposed council cohorts, she simply asks Related to open their checkbook.
Related gets free rent for nearly 10 years and Gillmor and her candidates get campaign funding. It doesn’t appear illegal, but it does raise ethical questions. The city received no money and Mayor Gillmor and her candidate slates received the support of Related independent expenditure committees.
However, there is more. During the Gillmor Council Majority era, her council used a legal but highly controversial law to remove David’s banquet facility from the golf course property.
David’s had been there 20 years and was earning over a million a year. His lease had years to run. Gillmor and her council majority used eminent domain for the first time in Santa Clara’s history and forced him out, paying him a $5,000 token as they said goodbye.
This injured Santa Clara in three ways 1) We lost a terrific restaurant on the Northside 2) Santa Clara lost face and faith in our council and 3) Santa Clara added to its already hefty budget for lawyers. That was only a few years ago and now Mayor Gillmor wants council control again.
The litigation costs and settlement costs are not this council’s fault. They were created and caused by Lisa Gillmor and her last Council Majority.
This is just one reason why your vote is critical and why you need to return Suds Jain, Anthony Becker and Kevin Park to Santa Clara City Council.
Soon you will receive numerous glossy mailers promoting new and old faces for Santa Clara Council. These are Gillmor candidates paid for by Related and the Santa Clara POA independent expenditure committees.
Park, Becker, and Jain, along with Karen Hardy and Raj Chahal, have saved Santa Clara millions of dollars, established stability, returned sanity and recruited quality personnel.
It does not appear that Mayor Lisa Gillmor has ever proven the concept “If it’s not broken, don’t fix it” because she’s working to regain control so she can break everything again.
Other Milestones:
Milestones – The “New” Gillmor Guillotine – Opinion
Milestones – Same Old Tactics – Opinion
