Eight years ago, Santa Clara approved a policy to prohibit anyone from serving more than two terms on the city council or as mayor. But the city’s top political leader — Mayor Lisa Gillmor — might have broken that rule.
New questions are swirling about whether Gillmor was eligible to run for reelection in 2022, citing lifetime term limits that were approved and added to the city charter in 2016. The new rules defined a full term as two years or more, without counting any time served before Dec. 1, 2016.
“No person elected as Mayor shall be eligible to serve, or serve, more than two (2) full terms; but such service prior to December 1, 2016, shall not disqualify any person from further service as Mayor,” the charter reads.
Gillmor was appointed mayor on Feb. 17, 2016 after then-Mayor Jamie Matthews resigned. According to city rules, anything over two years qualifies as a full term — so this appointment is considered one term. Then Gillmor ran for reelection in Nov. 2018 and won a second term as mayor. She served her second term until Dec. 2022.