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City Charter

Charter Review

Santa Clara Is Rewriting Its Constitution. What’s Missing Is Public Trust.

By Dr. Tom Shanks · June 21, 2026 · 6 min read

Nine people sit around a U-shaped conference table in a formal meeting room, with microphones and laptops in front and a seal on the wall behind them.

The Charter Review Committee did admirable and extensive work — but voters should judge the proposed Charter by what it leaves out: the kind of city Santa Clara wants to become, the Stadium Authority, a real ethics code, and the protection of meaningful public engagement. Read more

Categories Charter Review, City Charter

City Charter

Why the Stadium Authority Can’t Be Left Out of the Charter

By Dr. Tom Shanks · June 16, 2026 · 6 min read

Santa Clara’s Charter rewrite is a real chance to restore public trust — but it leaves out the Santa Clara Stadium Authority entirely. Why the body that governs the city’s biggest financial entanglement with the 49ers can’t be left out of the Charter. Read more

Categories City Charter

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