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San Jose Chamber says its offer to back Saratoga's Chamber stands
Local leaders say they prefer contract with city
Talks are on the agenda
By Oakley Brooks
The San Jose Silicon Valley Chamber of Commerce continued last week to stand behind its pledge to house and support the Saratoga Chamber, although the Saratoga Chamber president says he would prefer a new contract with the city of Saratoga instead of one with the San Jose Chamber.
Following an appeal from the Saratoga Chamber's administration, Saratogan Mike Fox Jr., the board chairman-elect of the San Jose Chamber, appeared in support of the Saratoga organization at a tense city council meeting Feb. 12. City Council members Stan Bogosian and Ann Waltonsmith had recently requested that the council discuss a possible end of city-Chamber relations that night.
The request came after the Saratoga Chamber endorsed West Valley--Mission College District's $268 million construction bond measure on Feb. 6--the council unanimously opposed the measure, citing its allocation for highly contentious athletic facility improvements at West Valley College.
At the Feb. 12 meeting, Councilman Bogosian noted that Measure E was the latest in a list of important political issues in Saratoga on which the Chamber had opposed the majority position of the city council. He added that to continue supporting the Chamber for its visitor and promotional services and to provide housing for the organization was "a bad business decision" for the city.
Earlier that day, Saratogan Jim Eller, a board member of the San Jose Chamber, wrote in a letter to Mayor Nick Streit that "the business community, including the Chamber, must not be threatened or abused for merely exercising its right to freedom of speech."
Fox followed Eller's letter that evening by arguing that "overt political punishment is not good government." Fox said the San Jose Chamber would find a home for the Saratoga Chamber, in the event it was evicted from its current city-owned offices. And he offered logistical support for the annual Celebrate Saratoga street dance, an event now assisted by city staff.
The city council eventually agreed to sit down and work on their differences with the Chamber, in the hope of developing a new contract. The two sides have been without a formal agreement since spring 2000.
Jim Cunneen, Saratoga's former state assemblyman and now the CEO of the San Jose Chamber, said last week that he hoped the two sides would come to some sort of agreement, to avoid his organization having to step in.
"It's nice to let cooler heads prevail," said Cunneen.
However, Cunneen said his executive board heard a report from Fox on Feb. 14 on the situation in Saratoga and that the board demonstrated strong support for the stand Fox had taken.
Cunneen said the link between business and education was tight, and that it was in the direct interest of the Saratoga Chamber to support the Measure E repairs.
"That's the role of every Chamber; we take stands on public policy issues," Cunneen said.
There is some precedent for the San Jose Chamber backing smaller, suburban chambers. Seven years ago, when the Los Gatos Chamber of Commerce fell into debt and had to close its doors, the San Jose administration stepped in and began a new organization in the town. The San Jose business group provided office space and support, such as accounting and insurance services, before the town of Los Gatos Chamber spun off as an independent entity three years ago.
Saratoga Chamber President Dave Hernandez said that before his group gets to the point of relying on the San Jose Chamber, he and the five other members of his executive board voted Feb. 20 to put a legitimate effort into negotiating a new contract with the city.
"It's not fair to abandon ship right now," Hernandez said.
The two sides have scheduled an official city council meeting for May 7. Before that, Hernandez said, he hopes to communicate regularly with Mayor Nick Streit, the city's liaison to the Chamber.
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Saratoga, California Since 1955
