Do Santa Clarans want to be managed by an NFL owner?

Santa Clara, like all cities, is in the midst of a crisis. We are proud of how Santa Clara has pulled together this year despite a historic pandemic and major urban unrest across the nation.

We believe Santa Clara has done more for our residents than any other Bay Area city during the pandemic. We’ve provided millions to struggling families with rental assistance and small businesses with grants. We’ve helped feed our schoolchildren on the weekends.

We can continue to meet today’s challenges because in the past few years we saved for the proverbial rainy day. Santa Clara and our cityowned electric company, Silicon Valley Power, currently have historically high financial reserves.

Our financial resources, combined with steady civic leadership and residents who help their neighbors, put Santa Clara in a strong position to handle any crisis.

But today our Mission City also faces a unique and major political challenge.

NFL owner Jed York is spending an unprecedented $3 million to support his four chosen candidates and oppose four others for the City Council. Four votes represent a majority of the City Council.

As Santa Clarans, we must decide if we want to be managed by an NFL owner. There’s a lot at stake for Santa Clara taxpayers.

In 2014, York wanted to take our Youth Soccer Park for VIP parking. We fought back and saved the park. In 2017, York tried to lower his own stadium rent by $170 million. But we prevailed and won an additional $10 million.

Now, York wants more latenight concerts and more revenue. To get his way, a majority of the City Council would have to eliminate the curfew law that has existed since the stadium was built.

Our 10 p.m. weekday curfew was created to protect our neighborhoods from late-night noise and traffic when our residents must go to work or school. Concerts can operate later on the weekends. York, who wants to change the law now, agreed to it in 2014 when the stadium opened.

We’re supporting candidates who will oppose York on the curfew issue. They will not be influenced by his massive and unprecedented political contributions. Plus, they will represent the residents of Santa Clara with integrity and independence on all issues.

We’re endorsing two incumbent councilmembers: Teresa O’Neill and Kathy Watanabe. They have done a stellar job creating our fiscal reserves and responding to the pandemic. We’re supporting two others who have deep roots in the community and can be trusted to put our residents first: Bob O’Keefe and Rob Mezzetti.

We sincerely ask our residents to vote for the candidates who will represent Santa Clara’s interests, not those of an NFL owner seeking more revenue. Your choice will help determine Santa Clara’s future.