Willow Glen Resident

News

Possible Grand Prix subsidy discussed with Chavez, Gonzales

By Monica Heger

San Jose Vice Mayor and mayoral candidate Cindy Chavez is in the hot seat as the Grand Prix funding issue remains controversial.

The Mercury News, curious about the council's decision to subsidize the Grand Prix, filed a public records request but was denied access to some of the documents because of the city's "privilege of deliberative process."

The documents, which were released on April 24, showed Chavez may have known a subsidy was necessary as early as August.

At the April 25 city council meeting, after a discussion about the necessity of the deliberative process privilege, the council unanimously voted to have the sunshine ordinance task force study the issue. In the meantime, the city attorney will be required to report to the rules committee every time the privilege is invoked, and the council can then decide whether to waive the privilege.

Councilman Dave Cortese, also a mayoral candidate, called the action a good first step, but said he supported permanently waiving the privilege of deliberative process.

"I'm not convinced that we need this deliberative process at all," Cortese said. "My vote would be to support a San Francisco type of ordinance that permanently waives the privilege of deliberative process."

Council members Linda LeZotte and Ken Yeager, who are running for the Santa Clara County supervisor seat , supported Cortese's position.

"We're at a point where we have to restore a lot of credibility," Yeager said. "The more that we can show that we're being open to the people and have nothing to hide, the better."

The council has been under fire for its decision to subsidize the Grand Prix race with $4 million since its 8-3 vote in January. The item was not on the agenda until the day before the decision was made, and council members did not receive memos on the item until the Friday before the Tuesday meeting.