Councilman thinks city attorney and administrator go too far
with recommendations on city policy
By Brian Babcock Staff Writer
Gilroy – City Councilman Craig Gartman wants the city administrator and city attorney to keep their opinions to themselves.
During Friday’s policy summit meeting, a gathering by the city council to talk about city issues with the public in an informal setting, Gartman told Jay Baksa, the city administrator, and Linda Callon, the city attorney, that in his eyes the two were going too far with their recommendations on city policy.
“I find that these personal experiences (and) personal opinions on items go beyond their responsibility,” Gartman said. “(Their personal opinions) are being interjected and I want that to stop.”
But Gartman found himself alone in his beliefs as the rest of the council, including Mayor Al Pinheiro, applauded the job Baksa and Callon have been doing for the city. Each council member said they appreciated the knowledge both staffers bring to the table and that they did not feel the two injected their opinions into statements they made to the council.
“I want to step in and say this,” Pinheiro said to the room. “I look at both the city attorney and city administrator as someone I can turn to for legal and for various things. I haven’t had a problem with what they’ve done at all and if we as a council hear something that is a personal opinion of theirs, we had better be smart enough to know that that’s just their personal opinion.”
He added that Callon always asks for permission to speak on a certain subject, and that Baksa does his best to not step over the line. Pinheiro added that they may inject their own opinions, but any instances have been few and far between.
Gartman disagreed and said Callon’s job is only to give legal advice and Baksa’s job is to point out issues the city council may not have looked at. Instead, he said, they have been questioning the council’s decisions and adding their opinions to council conversations when they should not.
He said the last straw came when he and fellow councilman Dion Bracco were voting no on the current city budget. Gartman said Baksa turned to them and asked them if they understood what they were voting on and if they truly meant to vote no. He said he did not like that.
“The staff’s job is to report the facts,” Gartman said.
Councilman Peter Arellano saw it differently than Gartman.
“I don’t feel there’s a problem. I don’t mind him giving us second thoughts, ‘Are you sure that’s what you want?'” Arellano said. “Well, maybe it is, maybe it isn’t, but I’ll still vote (how I want). It doesn’t matter what he asks me to recheck. I appreciate his perspective.”
“Linda, I’ve never had an issue with,” he added. “I’ve never heard her say anything that sounds like a personal opinion. If it’s happened, it’s happened rarely.”
Gartman did not stop with his feelings on the attorney and administrator, however. He also brought up the point that council members interrupt each other and disrupt the flow of the conversation.
“We’ve brought this up a number of times and I don’t see it improving,” Gartman said. “When people are talking and then given the floor and they’re talking about something someone may feel very passionately about, they just interrupt whatever that person is saying.
“Al, you’re in charge and you need to stay on top of this.”
Brian Babcock is an intern who recently graduated from San Francisco State University. You can reach him at 847-7240 or [email protected].
