Santa Clara’s new slogan was on full display during the state of the city gala.
On Sept. 24, at the Mission City Center for Performing Arts at Wilcox High School, 3250 Monroe St., elected officials, city employees, community leaders and the general public turned out to revel in the city’s accomplishments and look forward to the next year.
With a theme of “shaping tomorrow, celebrating today,” Mayor Lisa Gillmor’s keynote emphasized honoring Santa Clara’s legacy while charting a forward-thinking path into the future. The city is where “nostalgia meets diversity,” she said.
Its quaint parks and festivals give Santa Clara a small-town charm.
“That richness of culture is what fuels our city’s energy and spirit,” Gillmor said. “I’d like to say that we are one of those rare places where you can bump into your neighbor at the grocery store, cheer on an NFL team at Levi’s Stadium on the weekend, attend community college for free and enjoy the annual city cleanup program each spring.”
This sentiment echoes the city’s slogan for 2026 marquee events, Super Bowl and FIFA World Cup. The previous night, at the council’s regularly scheduled meeting, the city unveiled that slogan: “Where the mission meets the moment.”
On the flip side of the coin, with its own power company, tech giant Nvidia, one of the highest concentrations of data centers in the world, a convention center and Levi’s Stadium, Gillmor said the city is also a “dynamic modern city built for big business.”
That was by design.
“These bold moves were not just projects,” she said. “They were commitments to shaping a city that would gain prominence, one that would stand out today because of that vision.”
In addition to being an “epicenter” of innovation — with projects like Nvidia’s $100 billion investment in open AI and Sutter Health’s expansion of its Santa Clara campus — the city is also adding housing at an accelerated clip. The city’s uptown district, referred to as the Clara District, hosts seven high-rises with below-market-rate apartments, and the city is adding more housing every day.
Gillmor also acknowledged some heartbreaks. She lamented how long the George Haines International Swim Center (ISC) has been closed, the stalling of the downtown revitalization and the likely closing of California Great America. She called returning the city’s downtown a “priority.”
“I promise you, any decisions will involve the community every step of the way,” she said. “Every community needs a heart and soul.”
But, at least for the ISC, relief is in sight. A $400 million infrastructure bond will fund repairs at the ISC, set to begin early next year. The bond is not just “numbers on a paper,” Gillmor said.
“It’s a road map to rebuilding and renewing the very facilities that touch our lives every day,” she said.
Touching on the city’s commitment to environmentalism, Gillmor detailed projects that illustrate that commitment. She noted how the city has installed 100 electric vehicle charging stations, its Vision Zero plan aimed at making more walkable and bikeable communities, as well as its on-demand, clean-energy shuttle, SV Hopper.
Rapid expansion of Silicon Valley Power’s system will accommodate a growing slew of data centers. Gillmor called them the city’s “anchor.”
“This is what it takes to power the future and to keep business growing here instead of expanding somewhere else, and it’s what it takes to keep our community confident that Santa Clara can deliver the infrastructure of tomorrow,” Gillmor said.
Leveraging city-owned land like the Related Santa Clara project as well as unfreezing several city positions paused during the pandemic and restoring its budget stabilization reserve has positioned the city for financial success, she said. She said the city’s “fiscal house is strong.”
Circling back around to the Super Bowl and FIFA games, Gillmor said the events would “shine a spotlight” on Santa Clara, and that the city will not just be hosting games, it will be “hosting history.”
“When the world arrives, they will not just see a stadium. They will see our city,” Gillmor said. “They will see the diversity of our neighborhoods, the creativity of our businesses and the fabric of our culture. They will see who we are — a city that can welcome the world while still feeling like home. 2026 will be more than games. It will be a chance to show the world what Santa Clara is all about.”
Contact David Alexander at d.todd.alexander@gmail.com
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State of the City 2020: Facing Profound Challenges, Still Accomplishing
A Reflection on the 2025 State of the City and Ongoing Issues
Once again, we find ourselves discussing the state of our city—and this year’s event raised as many questions as it attempted to answer. Notably, the 2024 State of the City was canceled by Mayor Lisa Gillmor, and Councilmember Park demanded answers, suspecting political motivations behind the decision. After all, the event was canceled during an election year, which understandably raised eyebrows.
For three consecutive years, Councilmembers were only allowed to deliver pre-recorded messages, and then in 2024, the event didn’t happen at all. Compare that to 2019 and 2020, when Councilmembers personally introduced their district award recipients at the State of the City. Fast forward to 2025, and Councilmembers are once again able to do so in person. It’s worth noting that even during the pandemic, the city managed to hold this event remotely—yet in 2024, there was no effort to do the same.
City Manager Grogan eventually offered an explanation, but only late in the evening—after Councilmember Park had left for a scheduled flight and was unavailable. The timing felt intentional. According to Grogan’s memo, the Mayor decided to cancel the event and asserted that she controls it. But as Councilmember Park has passionately argued, the State of the City is not the Mayor’s personal event—it belongs to the people.
This selective approach feels like political gamesmanship. It’s hard to ignore that the 2022 State of the City occurred just before Gillmor’s own re-election campaign, yet 2024’s event—conveniently—was skipped entirely.
The 2025 event itself felt more like a tightly scripted production than a civic engagement. Some compared its orchestrated nature to authoritarian regimes—where dissent isn’t tolerated and control is everything. Mayor Gillmor took center stage, even giving interviews to KTVU FOX 2, weaving in her familiar narratives and criticisms, particularly targeting the 49ers and the Bay Area Host Committee over a $6 million line of credit. Her ongoing narrative implies they lack the assets, but the truth may simply be they’re unwilling to play into Gillmor’s political theater.
Councilmember Jain wasn’t wrong when he labeled this pattern of behavior as gaslighting.
Notable Quotes from Mayor Gillmor:
Gillmor said she now considers the Swim Center, Downtown Revitalization, and the closure of Great America as “priorities.” That’s an interesting stance, considering she’s been on Council for nearly three decades. During that time, these issues were neglected, even as she spent years attacking fellow Councilmembers, the 49ers, and the Chamber of Commerce. Instead of focusing on core services, like maintaining city facilities, the city was asked to fund repairs through bond measures.
On the loss of Great America, Gillmor expressed public disappointment—but did little to prevent its closure. One might suspect she knew it was part of a larger effort to diminish our entertainment district, possibly to undermine the stadium’s success.
Gillmor also offered praise to the “Reclaiming Our Downtown” group, and notably to its vocal co-leader Mary Grizzle. The timing seems strategic, considering Grizzle’s outspoken opposition to the Suds Jain recall effort. It raises the question—how often is Mayor Gillmor coordinating with David Kertes, the head of the recall campaign? At his farmers market chats, Kertes often dodges these very questions.
Then there was this: “Shine a spotlight on the big games in Santa Clara.” Yet, in the same breath, Gillmor downplayed the benefits of hosting major events like the Super Bowl or World Cup. So which is it, Mayor? Are these events an asset or a burden? Her messaging is increasingly inconsistent—and that doesn’t inspire confidence.
She also highlighted the expansion of Silicon Valley Power and its ability to serve the growing number of data centers—declaring them the city’s “anchor.” However, staff has previously stated that SVP lacks the capacity for more data centers. Has something changed? Or is this a quiet endorsement of the Related Companies’ growing data center developments—another project Gillmor appears to support?
Let’s not forget the Related project itself, which has stalled for over a decade. The city has already lost millions in potential revenue—funds we badly need today. And yet, Gillmor had the audacity to claim that the city’s “fiscal house is strong.” That’s only true because her previous majority, which included now-disgraced former City Attorney Brian Doyle and City Manager Deanna Santana, is no longer in control.
Marketing Misfires
Gillmor also praised the city’s economic development and marketing efforts, including that awkward and uninspired slogan: “The Mission Meets the Moment.” Councilmember Park had a point when he quipped that it would’ve been better the other way around. Either way, it’s a weak and outdated campaign that’s been a waste of resources.
A Surprising Highlight
Vice Mayor Kevin Cox offered one of the night’s more memorable moments when presenting his district award to Kirk Vartan, the Mayor’s Special Advisor. Cox openly stated, “Kirk is a pain in the ass.” His words—not mine—but it’s hard to disagree given Vartan’s controversial role and the questionable public funds invested into his co-op projects.
Final Thoughts
After witnessing this year’s State of the City, it’s clear that both City Manager Grogan and City Attorney Googins need to stop enabling the Mayor’s increasingly authoritarian behavior. It’s time to stop acting like appeasers and start serving the people of Santa Clara.
Vice Mayor Kelly Cox not Kevin. Her words not mine, a typo.
I did not attend the event, but I did hear Ms. Watanabe express concern that other council members wanted to have a say at these events. She emphasized that these occasions should be moments for the Mayor to speak, with other council members only being introduced rather than participating in speeches.
I supported the move to establish districts, and now I believe it is time to consider implementing term limits for the Gillmors. Have we not had enough years of the Gillmors? It is possible we could have another eight years of Lisa Gillmor. Heaven help us. At this point, perhaps we should just rename the city Gillmor, since it is apparently no longer politically correct to be a Mission.