Santa Clara has been my home since 1984, and it is where I am proud to have raised my children. From mentoring students at Wilcox High School in cybersecurity to serving on our Planning Commission and Charter Review Committee, I have dedicated myself to our community's future. But today, we face real challenges. Years of deferred maintenance have left us with over $600 million in infrastructure needs, while state mandates threaten to take planning decisions away from the people who know our neighborhoods best. I am running because we need disciplined, common-sense leadership to protect what we own. I will focus on reliable, affordable power, smart asset planning to prevent costly emergencies, and working with neighboring cities to restore our local authority. Let's make growth work for all of us.
When our Swim Center closed in January 2024 because of deferred maintenance, rescuing it became a $24 million project. Our fire stations needed so much work they became the largest line item in the $400 million bond we just passed. But that bond only covers two-thirds of our $600 million in unfunded infrastructure needs. While our oversight committee tracks the bond money, nobody is looking at the whole picture. We must fix our finances before the next emergency. That is why my first proposal is to establish a standing Finance Committee. Working directly with our Director of Finance, this committee will review major spending before we vote, track our assets and their maintenance costs, and recommend how to fund our reserves. Together, we can ensure the next repair never requires the next bond.
Our municipal utility, Silicon Valley Power, is the best deal in Santa Clara, but it is under immense pressure. Data centers bring in forty-one million dollars a year, but they consume over half our electricity, and our grid is completely full. That is why I am calling for a pause on new data center approvals. Before we build more, I want to ensure three things: a cost-of-service study proving our residents aren't subsidizing this infrastructure, a clear report comparing their water use to our neighborhoods, and an updated General Plan showing where these facilities belong. Data centers are an important part of our economy, and the ones we have should thrive. But adding more before we answer basic questions about who pays for the grid and who gets the water is not the responsible growth our community deserves.
I voted against bringing the 49ers to Santa Clara because I believed it was a bad deal for our residents. But the stadium is built, and relitigating that decision at every council meeting has cost our city too much. The constant fighting has divided our government, distracting us from vital priorities like our streets, water, and fire stations. It is time to end that era. The contract exists, and my focus is on managing it competently to make it work for you. I will enforce the terms, track the money, and publish the results. I will push for a standing reconciliation report after every major event, published quarterly. By putting these numbers out in the open, we replace endless political yelling with clear truth, ensuring our residents get the accountability they deserve.
As one of thirteen residents on our Charter Review Committee, I watched our ten months of hard work get voted on after one in the morning, when almost nobody was watching. That is not how public business should work. If you cannot stay awake to see your government act, open government has failed. I will push for a policy that stops new agenda items after 10:00 PM. If we need more time, we wait—decisions only get worse in an empty chamber at 1:00 AM. Having chaired our Planning Commission through tough decisions, I know we can disagree, decide, and move on without making it personal. Santa Clara's problems are solvable. We just need a council that works like colleagues instead of factions, doing the public's work when you can actually see it.
Have questions or suggestions? I would love to hear from you!
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