By Robert Haugh
Santa Clara residents don’t know how much the City paid for Super Bowl LX, which was held at Levi’s Stadium in February.
Last night, the City Council voted 4-3 to reject Mayor Lisa Gillmor’s request to place a public report on the next agenda about Super Bowl and FIFA World Cup cost reimbursements.
Gillmor framed the request as basic transparency.
She said the City’s public dashboard has not been updated since January, a month before the last Super Bowl. The World Cup is approaching next month.
“The community deserves to know the status of millions in city expenses, four months after the Super Bowl concluded with the World Cup approaching,” Gillmor said.
“And this is really routine financial oversight.”
Gillmor, Vice Mayor Albert Gonzalez, and Councilmember Kelly Cox voted to agendize the report for the public.
Councilmembers Raj Chahal, Suds Jain, Karen Hardy, and Kevin Park voted no.
All four were elected with major help from millions of dollars in 49ers-backed independent expenditures.
[…] The Chronicle story follows the May 26 City Council meeting, when Gillmor asked for a public report on Super Bowl and World Cup costs and reimbursements. The motion failed 4-3, as Santa Clara News Online reported on May 27. […]
The City Council represents the citizens of Santa Clara not the other way around. We have a right to know where the money is being spent and who is actually profiting from these events at the stadium.
I am not surprised by this vote. What was most entertaining last night was the exchange between Lisa and Suds. Up for discussion was the amount approved for the recent STEM event, $1M. Yes, one million. Suds: I may have voted for it, but I forgot. Lisa: Go back and check your vote. Suds: I don’t remember my vote. LOL. Lucky Santa Clara. If you want to view it was at approximately 830pm last night (5/26)
Saw that exchange and another at end of meeting. So much time is wasted on these petty grievances. The public is disgusted. No doubt, a missive from Roger Kint aka Suds Jain will appear in the SV Enquirer today to continue the complaint on the Mayor.
There should be time limits for when Public Records Requests should have to be, a) initially responded to, and, b) completed. 👍 Something like 15 days, and 90 days. Otherwise, what’s the point of having them at all? So then it’s “just fine and dandy” for the gov’t people to basically ignore them.
Well, we were asking for transparency, and we can see right through them. How can their motives be clearer? They want to hide how much money is being taken from our city. And the jed supported staff are helping to hide it. This should not require a council vote; it should just be available. If it weren’t embarrassing it would be.
I suggest making a Pubilc Records Request (PRA), which can be done here:
https://santaclara.nextrequest.com/
Ask for:
1. A list of costs or invoices sent to the City of Santa Clara for
a) Super Bowl
b) FIFA World Cup
2. A list of reimbursements made, or expected (and by when), for each cost or invoice listed above
a) Super Bowl
b) FIFA World Cup
And you hope to get a response by when?
I bet is when pigs fly.
Good luck. The current city manager and staff is holding up records requests. With no real cause. We’ve filed several requests. They take ages to even get a response.
So back in February I requested information on the Superbowl half time fireworks and the practice a few days later. I had sent a message to the city council and only Lisa or Mayor replied that she would have the staff follow up. Well, guess what, they didn’t and I’m still waiting for a reply. This falls right in line with our staff and council not taking action.
Your record request #26-183 has been submitted successfully.
Please provide the data sheet for the Super Bowl half time show that shows the chemicals used in the display and the amount of each chemical. The practice on the 5th had a very strong chemical smell and I feel it is out of line with guidelines. This should include the actual SB half time shows as well.
I had already requested this of all the city council and Mayor. Only the Mayor responded that she would investigate and advise. I am disappointed that only she and the fire department responded and the fire department says I have to do a formal request, so here it is! This shouldn’t be that complicated to provide.
So, as of today, I’m still waiting because the chemical smell in our area for the practice was not normal. it was an explosion that I believe exposed homeowners to chemicals none of us should smell. Now, I know that fireworks are going to happen, and I don’t have anything against them. THIS WAS NOT NORMAL AND THE CITY MANAGER AND STAFF ARE STALLING A REPLY ON THIS ISSUE. THIS NEEDS ATTENTION FROM THE COUNCIL AND CITY MANAGER NOW.
Sounds like you live in District 1. Albert Gonzalez territory. Only Mayor replied? Not surprised. Albert hasn’t replied to a simple question I submitted in December.
There clearly is something the 49er grifters do not want divulged and this is very troublesome — BUT I must say, this is making the choice for Mayor easier and easier — David Kertes clearly has the BEST interests of the residents of Santa Clara.
The voters now have a clear choice: Are they going to elect 49er-supported candidates who hide how they manage the taxpayers’ money, or will they elect a new mayor who demands transparency and vigorous defense of public contracts?
I am not surprised by this vote. At this point, it’s clear that Jovan and others have thrown the word transparency out the window. And residents deserve to ask a very simple question: What is Jovan not telling us? Why is he hiding information that belongs to the public? This is our money, our city, and our right to know how every dollar is being spent.
Mayor Lisa Gillmor did the right thing by calling it out and demanding transparency. That is what leadership looks like. What shocks me is that Karen Hardy and Raj Chahal voted to let Jovan continue operating in the dark. They had an opportunity to stand with residents, and instead they chose to protect secrecy.
Santa Clara deserves better than this pattern of closed‑door decisions and selective disclosure. And I hope residents remember exactly what Karen and Raj have not done for this city when we vote in November. If we want accountability, if we want honesty, if we want a government that respects the people who pay the bills — we need change.