Candidate for
City Clerk; City of Santa Clara

The Diridon Report: PROMISES MADE = PROMISES KEPT

One of the most important bonds between an elected official and voters are the promises made during an election.

When a candidate makes promises to the voters that trust should be held in the highest regard. In turn, with your vote you extend your trust to that candidate.

Four years ago, I made promises to voters in three specific areas:

Provide Stability and Accountability Save Taxpayer Dollars Foster Good Government

I valued your trust then. I value it now.

As with anything of value accomplished in an organization, meeting these goals is part of a team effort with the residents, City Council, City staff, City Clerk's Office and many others.

Let me share with you how those promises have been kept in the past four years...

#1 STABILITY AND ACCOUNTABILITY

Promise Made: Public Access: To ensure the proper administration of the office and maintain open and unbiased access to government. To have a Zero Tolerance Policy for any staff member who is not service-oriented.

• Promise Kept: Minutes: In the past three full fiscal years of operation, the City Clerk's Office has met the departmental goal of approving 90% of the minutes within four weeks. This provides important information to the public in a timely manner and is the first time this has been accomplished in the ten years this measurement has been tracked.

• Promise Kept: Video Streaming: In August of 2008, the City of Santa Clara began live video streaming of City Council meetings on the City's website. This allows residents greater access not just to the written minutes, but also to the actual happenings of City Council meetings.

• Promise Kept: Cross Training: An aggressive cross-training program has been completed in the City Clerk's Office. Most functions can be handled by more than one staff member, allowing for better service to Santa Clarans.

• Promise Kept: 100% Performance Measurements: The City Clerk's Office achieved 100% in FY 07/08 in all of the departmental performance measurements, for the first time in the decade since these have been tracked.

• Promise Kept: Updated Job Descriptions: Updated the job description of the Assistant City Clerk for the first time since 1990 and for the Office Specialist to the City Clerk for the first time since 2001 to more accurately reflect the responsibilities of the position and better serve the public.

• Promise Kept: Tracking Performance: Instituted a process to track the tasks completed and performance of hourly employees in the Records Retention Center.

• Promise Kept: 5 Year Plan: Many promises were made in campaign documents in 2004. In addition, incorporating feedback from the City Manager, City Council and public, created a 5 Year Plan with achievable goals at the 6 month, 1 year, 2 year and 5 year marks.

• Promise Kept: Reports: This website and upcoming advertisements in the Santa Clara weekly will report back regarding campaign promises made and kept. A formal Review Memorandum will follow in November regarding the goals met in the City Clerk's Office 5 Year Plan.

Promise Made: Saving Tax Dollars: Leverage Private Sector Expertise to identify cost savings.

• Promise Kept: $123,728 Under Budget: For Fiscal Year 04/05, 05/06, 06/07 and 07/08 the City Clerk's Office was a combined total of $123,728 under-budget.

• Promise Kept: $12,233 in Technology Savings: In 2008, the City Clerk's Office updated the agenda processing technology saving $12,233 annually in tax dollars.

• Promise Kept: $47,691 Liability Discovered: In 2006, the City Clerk's Office discovered an error in an estimate from the Registrar of Voters Office regarding the costs to hold a special election and alerted the City Council of $47,691 in hidden liability, should they have chosen to implement that election cycle.

• Promise Kept: Independent Performance Audit: In 2005, the City Clerk's Office requested and received an independent performance audit and identified 23 recommendations to more efficiently utilize tax dollars.

• Promise Kept: FPPC Audit: The City Clerk's Office requested and received a review from the Fair Political Practices Commission (FPPC) regarding the process of reporting campaign fundraising and economic interests, ensuring transparency for the public.

• Promise Kept: Audit Pilot Program: In 2007, the City Clerk's Office wrote and proposed a thorough report regarding options for a Performance Audit Pilot program.

Promise Made: Vote Ethics Programs: To fully implement the recommendations of the Ethics Ordinance and Campaign Finance Reform Committees to set ethical and open expectations.

• Promise Kept: 2006 Vote Ethics Program: In 2006 the City of Santa Clara implemented the 2006 Vote Ethics Program to increase voter savvy and set even higher expectations of candidates. In recognition of the 2006 Vote Ethics Program, the City of Santa Clara received numerous awards including the International Institute of Municipal Clerks Program Excellence in Governance Award and the Helen Putnam Grand Prize Award from the California League of Cities.

• Promise Kept: Program Elements: The 2006 Vote Ethics program utilized an improved Vote Ethics Guide and campaign literature which was sent to each voter in Santa Clara, video briefs detailing topics such as how residents can become more savvy voters, a public service announcement on KSCU and the Final Word Forum to hold candidates accountable for misleading last minute campaign tactics. For the November 2006 election cycle, voter turnout increased by 6.5%. The number of people who feel that they "can have a big impact on making the City of Santa Clara a better place to live" increased from 61% to 79%. The number of residents that felt they had "too little information for making informed voting choices" decreased from 52% to only 7%.

• Promise Kept: Campaign Finance Reform: Proposed a manner through which candidates could accept and report nominal in-kind campaign contributions between the close of the fundraising window and election day, providing more accurate information for the public.