With a full slate of candidates, The Weekly wanted to give voters insight into each candidate’s position on a slew of issues we believe matter most to Santa Clarans.
Consequently, we asked them seven questions, giving them the flexibility to answer as many as they wanted. We limited their responses to 1,000 words (allowing a bit of flexibility for how disparate word processors count words). Their responses appear verbatim.
The Silicon Valley Voice will roll out each candidate’s answers in the days leading up to the election.
How do you think the city handled the Super Bowl and the FIFA World Cup this year? If you were on the city council, what would you have done differently? How would you balance the desire to have more events like these at Levi’s Stadium with neighborhood impacts?
I think the City handled the Super Bowl and FIFA World Cup successfully from an operational and public-safety standpoint. I recently listened to Chief Morgan’s update, and it was encouraging to hear how few incidents occurred during these major events. That reflects a tremendous amount of planning and coordination by our police, fire, public works and other City employees.
I was on the City Council for a portion of the planning for both events, and one thing I would have done differently was insist on greater transparency from the beginning. I would not have supported asking the Mayor and Council to sign nondisclosure agreements. These were major events with significant financial and neighborhood impacts, and residents had a right to know as much as legally possible about what was being negotiated among the Bay Area Host Committee, the 49ers and the City.
Going forward, I support bringing major events to Levi’s Stadium when they provide a real benefit to Santa Clara and taxpayers are protected. But success of events need to include what happens inside as well as outside. We need to consider the residents who live nearby, particularly in the Northside, and address traffic, parking, noise, public safety and access to their neighborhoods.
I would also want a stronger plan with the DMO to ensure our local businesses actually benefit from these events. I have heard that this was not the case in Santa Clara. If Santa Clara hosts an event watched around the world, Santa Clara residents and businesses should share in the economic benefits.
We can welcome major events while protecting our neighborhoods but that requires transparency, accountability, community engagement and making sure Santa Clara receives its fair share of the benefits.
Over the past ten years, the city has added lots of housing but has floundered with respect to public amenities and infrastructure (the swim center is in disrepair, the convention center is falling apart and the BMX Park is slated to move, just to name a few). What more should the city be doing to prevent the loss of — or add more — public amenities and find a better balance between housing and public amenities, without asking residents to approve another $400 million bond measure?
Santa Clara has added significant housing over the last decade and met its state housing obligations. But as we grow, our infrastructure, parks and public amenities must keep pace As Santa Clara grows, housing, infrastructure and quality of life must grow together.
I would not characterize the City’s record as simply “floundering.” In 2018, while I was on the Council, we discussed an infrastructure bond to address needs including the aging International Swim Center. We held off while SCUSD pursued Measure BB, intending to revisit a City measure in 2020, but COVID changed those plans. Voters ultimately approved Measure I in 2024, which is now funding critical infrastructure improvements.
We also need to find a permanent home for the BMX track. Relocation has been discussed with San Jose, PAL and BMX families, but a suitable location has not yet been identified.
Going forward, we cannot continually rely on residents for another $400 million bond. We need stronger long-term capital planning, fair contributions from development, and greater use of grants and partnerships. Sutter Health’s planned $2.8 billion investment in North Santa Clara including a new hospital and expanded medical services is a good example of growth that can bring significant community benefits.
According to Silicon Valley At Home, while Santa Clara does well to meet its Regional Housing Needs Allocation (RHNA) numbers for Low Income and Above Moderate Income households, it struggles to create housing for low-income households. What should the city do to create PERMANENT spaces for the poorest Santa Clara residents?
The City should identify land that is near transit that would benefit residents with no transportation. There have been developers who have worked together to build 100% affordable housing when they initially planned to build a 20% affordable housing project. We need to learn how to replicate this kind of building that would benefit developers to keep costs low for them as well as residents.
Silicon Valley Power has increased rates six times since January 2022 as the utility continues to expand. Would you like to see this expansion continue? With more data centers than ever, do you think SVP’s trajectory is in the best interest of residents?
Silicon Valley Power is one of Santa Clara’s greatest assets, and protecting its reliability and financial strength is essential. However, expansion must provide a clear benefit to our residents and businesses.
The six rate increases since 2022 underscore the need to carefully manage growth and ensure large power users, including data centers, pay their fair share of the infrastructure costs they create.
I would not support unlimited data-center growth simply because more capacity becomes available. We should consider whether that power could support businesses that create more jobs and economic benefits for our community.
My priority is keeping SVP strong, residential rates competitive and future growth working for Santa Clara.
Name some issues on which you would have voted differently from your predecessor and some that you would have voted the same. Explain why.
Mayor Gillmor and I have agreed on some issues and taken different approaches on others. I am my own person and make decisions based on the facts and what I believe is best for Santa Clara.
I agreed with her on the need for transparency and accountability with the 49ers, protecting the General Fund, public safety and infrastructure.
As Mayor, I would bring my own leadership style—focused on building working relationships, finding common ground and moving the City forward. I would also bring greater urgency to economic development, Downtown revitalization and addressing blight along El Camino Real.
How do you plan to balance neighborhood-specific advocacy with citywide budget and policy tradeoffs?
Good leadership means listening to individual neighborhoods while keeping the entire city in mind. Different parts of Santa Clara have different needs, and those concerns deserve a voice at City Hall.
As Mayor, I would base budget and policy decisions on demonstrated need, fiscal responsibility and fairness, while communicating openly about priorities and tradeoffs.
My eight years on the City Council taught me how to advocate for neighborhoods while seeing the bigger picture. The Mayor represents all of Santa Clara, and that is how I would lead.
What would you do to ensure that the Related project does not see another several years of delay?
The Related Santa Clara project is too important to remain stalled. I would focus on urgency, accountability and removing avoidable City delays while protecting Santa Clara’s interests.
I would work with Related and City staff to establish clear milestones for financing, permitting, infrastructure and construction, with senior staff responsible for identifying and resolving problems quickly. Another component of the project is SCFD Station 10. The fire station is a necessary asset to the Northside as the area continues to grow.
The City should be a partner in getting this project built, but Related must also meet its commitments. My goal is simple: solve what the City can control, hold Related accountable for what it controls, and get the project moving.
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