By Robert Haugh

The State of California and local governments have laws that prohibit elected officials and public employees from leaving a government job and going to work for companies or organizations that they regulate.

The federal government and other governments have them too. They’re usually called “Revolving Door” laws.

Santa Clara’s Former Assistant City Manager Ruth Shikada may have violated that law.

Shikada left the City and immediately started working for the Bay Area Host Committee in January 2024.

That’s the group set up by the 49ers to manage the events and activities of Super Bowl LX and the 2026 FIFA World Cup.  Both will be played in Santa Clara.

Here’s part of Shikada’s LinkedIn page:

When Shikada was Assistant City Manager she was responsible for interacting with the 49ers and the Bay Area Host Committee. 

Because of that, they are considered prospective employers.

The California Fair Political Practices Commission put online a guide to leaving local government employment. Here’s what they say about government officials dealing with prospective employers:

The ban on influencing prospective employment prohibits any public official from making, participating in making, or influencing a governmental decision that directly relates to a prospective employer while negotiating or after reaching an employment arrangement. (Section 87407; Regulation 18747.) 

In short, this law expands the Act’s conflict-of-interest rules and related disqualification obligations to situations where a decision will have a reasonably foreseeable material financial effect on the prospective employer even though the official does not yet have an economic interest in the employer. 

The ban applies to all “public officials” including every member, officer, employee, or consultant of a local governmental agency. (Section 82048.) 

Shikada resigned as Assistant City Manager on January 2, 2024.  That was also her last day working for Santa Clara, according to City staff.

Here’s the advice given by the Institute for Local Government on public service ethics about going to work for an employer who you regulated at the City:

“Legally, the prudent course of action may be to negotiate any contracts for services only after one has left the agency’s service.” 

According to publicly available information, Shikada may not have done that.

The City hired Chuck Baker to replace Shikada. He also had questions raised about his past relationship with the 49ers.