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The city of Pleasanton has a trust problem.
Distrust has taken root in recent years primarily because of lack of transparency, especially in financial decisions.
Pleasanton residents who were tired of being misled and stifled made their feelings known loud and clear in November when they voted down a half-cent sales tax increase and ousted the mayor and a council member from the dais.
Losing trust is easy; earning it back is very difficult. This is something the current city staff should be reminded of.
First, someone should rein in Matthew Gray from continuing his campaign to gaslight people into believing they don’t have the right to ask for documents or fact-based information from the city.
It’s really bad optics when an employee of the city with a huge trust problem is outright hostile toward people requesting public records (key word is “public”) and asking to see the city’s general ledger.
In a Feb. 28 Letter to the Editor, Gray wrote, “Intimidation and bullying is rearing its ugly head in Pleasanton again.”
Gray is spot on. He’s trying to intimidate and bully people asking for transparency from their elected officials and city employees.
He wrote that allowing the public to see where their tax dollars are going is “a step taken too far in the name of transparency.”
Pleasanton city staff should be bending over backwards in the name of transparency to earn back trust.
Gray’s antics have been going on for a while. During a council meeting before the Nov. 5, 2024, election, Gray condemned a group of civic-minded residents for daring to file public records requests, saying they “bombard the city clerk’s office with PRAs (public records act requests) which cost the city thousands upon thousands of dollars to fulfill.”
Gray continues his hostility toward people trying to exercise their rights, and he is now attempting to discredit the new city council.
I can only speculate why he persists, but feel I should point out that the agreement between the city and the Pleasanton City Employees Association expired March 31.
When Gray was railing on people with the audacity to ask to see the general ledger, he further complained that allowing the public to see the ledger would make “a political issue out of every single line item of the city’s spending.”
Um, that might not be a bad idea in light of the $10 million structural deficit the city is facing.
Speaking of transparency and the deficit, I’m concerned about one of the General Fund Operating Budget reduction recommendation to be presented at a Special City Council meeting on Tuesday, April 8.
The recommendation is to cut $360,000 over two years (FY 2026 and 2027) from five organizations, including Tri-Valley Community Television (TVCTV), better known as TV30.
Reducing support for the station that streams and records the city council meetings is totally in line with what seems to be Gray’s desire to keep city decisions and processes opaque and residents in the dark.
According to Heather Tiernan, the city’s communications manager, $100,000 of the total $360,000 projected savings is from TVCTV, which is a reduction in funding – not elimination of funding.
Fortunately, as Tiernan explained, “Specific to TVCTV, this reduction is related to the subsidy the city provides to TVCTV. Additionally, the city pays TVCTV for production services to record and stream meetings, which is not included in the reduction.”
But Pleasanton is one of three cities in the Tri-Valley that supports TVCTV’s 24/7 operation. Livermore and Dublin also support the organization, but there is a real possibility those cities will balk at picking up what Pleasanton has cut, which is roughly $100,000, or $50,000 for each municipality.
In other words, the future of TVCTV is at risk, and also at risk is the access to Pleasanton, Livermore and Dublin city council and school board meetings, as well as other public meetings, community events and the like.
I totally understand that cuts are necessary and are going to hurt. However, in my opinion, the pain should be equally felt.
Taken off the table were reductions in hours for the Firehouse Arts Center and the Pleasanton Senior Center.
Tiernan explained, “These reductions are not recommended at this time due to the impact on non-vacant staff positions, as well as the value of these services to vulnerable populations, including youth and seniors.”
According to the staff report, these two line items would have saved $500,000 over the two years. Even half of that would fully fund TV30 and maybe even save a crossing guard position or two.
What is at stake with the loss of TVCTV, which benefits all the residents of Pleasanton, Dublin and Livermore, is too important to leave unquestioned.
Join me in asking Pleasanton city staff and council to rethink reducing support to this extremely important asset that provides valuable community information and helps hold our elected officials and public agencies accountable.
Dear Ms. Wilcox,
I take offense to your opinion piece. First of all, when you speak of bullying, this is precisely what you are doing to Mr. Gray. Like you, he is entitled to his opinion. In this day and age, one would hope that we respect another’s opinion. Clearly you do not and have chosen to go the route of the bully.
Lastly, with regard to transparency, I did vote for the parcel tax. I love this town I live in and know that to live here requires that I pay for the services I have grown to expect. I am willing to do that by way of a parcel tax. To those who are unwilling to pay to support things we’ve grown accustomed to…perhaps it’s time to move.
Sadly, our current mayor was not transparent with regard to voting “for or against” the parcel tax which, I believe, steered his supporters in the direction of non-support of the tax. And here we are…days later and dollars short.
I respectfully disagree with your opinion piece as this is my opinion. I don’t think our town has a trust problem. I think it has a bullying problem.
It is indeed time to move (or to demand change) when self-righteous politicians think that a 10.25% sales tax rate is somehow “not enough” – and that raising it to nearly 11% is “no big deal”. Other states do just fine with 6% or 7%. And they also have lower (or no) state income taxes.
Parcel Tax?
I voted against Measure PP (sales Tax).
Gina is right on.
I considered a Freedom of Information request to get my questions answered.
Gina, spot on opinion. I agree with everything you have written in this piece.
And to PleasantonValleyRez, I’ve been here 42 years and not leaving any time soon. It’s time for our government (s) to stop overspending, cut the fat out of the organization. My next public records request will be one of how many managers, directors, deputy directors, supervisors do we have and on average how many direct reports do they each have. Should be interesting to say the least.
It’s rather telling that Ms Gina Wilcox is omitting my Letter to the Editor of her Pleasanton Weekly, dated March 30th of this year. In that letter I point out for readers the absurdity of the hosting an $11,500 party at taxpayer expense held at Callippe Golf Course, the Annual Mayor’s Awards event, considering the severe budget situation facing the city. I asked why the $500 alternative event was not considered by the council majority? If sponsorships are realistic for the city, the mayor should have his company sponsor the event.
To give context for the community, I’m a city employee who was involved in the Yes on PP committee. I do park maintenance. I mow lawns, pick up trash, spray for weeds. Very low level grunt-stuff.
The question for readers should be – why is Ms. Wilcox, the president and (publisher) of the Pleasanton Weekly, elevating a very low-level city-worker like myself? I’m honored really. But this is her second editorial on me. What does it say about a paper that is registered as a 501c(3) non-profit, and the president/(publisher) chooses to picks fights with a guy who drives a lawn mower for the city?
Ms. Wilcox, if bestowed the honor for the Annual Mayor’s Citizen award, can you commit to kindly refusing it considering the excessive taxpayer expense? No one should be celebrating at a golf course in light of the truly awful budget situation in Pleasanton.
Thank you for your years of journalistic service to the community.
I was in the audience April 10, 2025 when Mayor Balch led the council majority in quite literally saving your lawn mowing job from the chopping block. It was the City Manager who placed that job on the list of cuts, along with others in an attempt to control the narrative of doom and gloom being put espoused by those over whom he holds sway, including you. Mayor Balch, whom you are so keen to vilify at every turn, on the other hand, has worked tirelessly to draw in all the residents of Pleasanton to the conversation, to seek input from all sectors and lead the council to the most equitable solutions to the challenges confronting our community.
@MatthewGray: agree with you 100%. Thank you for all you do.
@CheckTheFacts: good luck.