City Council and Authorities Concurrent

Santa Clara Council Loosens Travel Rules Over Mayor's 'Self-Service' Objections

The Santa Clara City Council votes 5-2 Tuesday to loosen its official travel policy, drawing sharp rebukes from Mayor Lisa Gillmor, who accuses the Governance and Ethics Committee of crafting rules that benefit its own members.

"It's very revealing that it's coming from the Governance and Ethics Committee where a lot of members would benefit from the relaxed travel policy," Gillmor says. "That's not oversight for me, that's self-service."

The revised Council Policy 043 removes caps on the number of council members who may attend any single conference, replaces seniority-based priority with criteria tied to committee assignments and budget availability, and extends receipt submission deadlines from 15 to 30 days. Council members may also now keep frequent flier miles earned on city travel, a practice staff acknowledges was never enforced.

Councilmember Kelly Cox, who pulled the item from the consent calendar in December, argues the policy eliminates accountability. "What we have is unlimited travel with a limited budget," Cox says, noting actual travel spending runs about $25,000 to $30,000 annually against a $60,000 to $70,000 budget.

Councilmember Kevin Park pushes back, calling the objections hypothetical. Councilmember Albert Gonzalez makes the motion to approve, seconded by Councilmember Suds Jain. Gonzalez, Jain, Councilmember Karen Hardy, Park, and Councilmember Raj Chahal vote in favor. Gillmor and Cox vote no.

$100M Bond Sale Moves Forward

In a unanimous 6-0 vote taken after Gillmor departs the meeting due to illness, the council authorizes the first issuance of Measure I general obligation bonds, up to $100 million for infrastructure projects approved by voters in November 2024. Finance Director Ken Lee tells the council the city's AAA credit ratings from both S&P and Moody's will save taxpayers roughly $2 million over the 30-year bond life compared to a AA rating.

The bonds will fund 27 capital projects, with a second issuance anticipated in fiscal year 2027-28. The total Measure I program authorizes $400 million against more than $600 million in identified infrastructure needs.

Labor Groups Sound Alarm Ahead of Super Bowl

During public comment, roughly a dozen speakers from labor and immigrant advocacy organizations press the council on worker protections for Super Bowl LX and the FIFA World Cup. Sheila, lead negotiator for IBEW Local 1245, warns of safety risks at Silicon Valley Power stemming from sustained vacancies and stalled labor negotiations.

"We find ourselves here because we feel we have no other option," she tells the council. Representatives from SIREN and Working Partnerships USA call for prohibiting ICE agents from city-owned properties without valid judicial warrants.

Gillmor, before leaving the meeting, also challenges City Manager Deanna Santana on Super Bowl cost reimbursements, noting the city's public transparency dashboard had not been updated for eight months. Santana responds that the host committee has paid all invoices received and that some of the mayor's statements contain "factual inaccuracies."

Retired Employee Returns to Public Works

The council votes 6-1, with Park dissenting, to waive the 180-day waiting period for retired Deputy Director David Staub to return as temporary help in Public Works. Three of the department's seven division managers retired at the end of 2025, and Staub's institutional knowledge is needed for Super Bowl and FIFA coordination.

"It feels very much like people using this opportunity to get a job, get additional pay, and not have to look for a second job during retirement while they're collecting pension," Park says.

A resident's request to reconsider a $20.35 million allocation to the Civic Center Campus Reserve fund fails when no council member from the prevailing side makes a motion to bring the item back for discussion.