{"id":81819,"date":"2025-12-04T21:23:11","date_gmt":"2025-12-04T21:23:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/81819\/"},"modified":"2025-12-04T21:23:11","modified_gmt":"2025-12-04T21:23:11","slug":"former-council-candidate-seeks-to-recall-district-5-council-member","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/81819\/","title":{"rendered":"Former Council Candidate Seeks to Recall District 5 Council Member"},"content":{"rendered":"

A year after his defeat, the candidate for Santa Clara\u2019s District 5 city council seat is attempting to oust the council member voters elected.<\/p>\n

Last year, according to the Santa Clara County Registrar of Voters (RoV)<\/a>, 6,049 voters cast ballots for District 5 candidates, incumbent Council Member Suds Jain and challenger David Kertes. Jain edged out Kertes by a little more than 500 votes.<\/p>\n

But although the voters spoke, the results left a bad taste in Kertes\u2019 mouth. He said many who voted for Jain have approached him at the farmer\u2019s market, telling him they don\u2019t want to slog through the remainder of Jain\u2019s term with him helming the district, he said.<\/p>\n

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\u201cI had a lot of people who voted for Suds tell me that they want the recall,\u201d Kertes said. \u201cNothing is getting done. People are saying, \u2018I voted for the wrong person.\u2019\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n

Kertes said he has been hearing from residents that many issues are going unaddressed.\u00a0<\/p>\n

He cited a lack of movement on the city\u2019s downtown, the elimination of city baseball fields, paid city parking, noise issues at Santa Clara University and the relocation of Santa Clara Unified School District\u2019s Wilson Adult Education campus.<\/p>\n

These issues hurt residents\u2019 quality of life, Kertes alleged.<\/p>\n

Additionally, he laid the blame for the city\u2019s salary spending at Jain\u2019s feet.<\/p>\n

\u201cI just said enough is enough \u2026 I am not going to wait another three years,\u201d Kertes said.<\/p>\n

The city needs someone with proven leadership, Kertes said, someone who will listen to residents\u2019 concerns and meet with them regularly. In addition to being a youth baseball coach, Kertes sits on the city\u2019s salary setting commission, which determines how much the city pays the mayor and council members.<\/p>\n

Although the city will be on the hook for the cost for potentially two special elections, Kertes said that money is a drop in the bucket.<\/p>\n

\u201cIf I look at the waste we are doing with the city, we are talking millions. If I am able to prevent millions of wasteful spending, that is a good ROI,\u201d Kertes said.<\/p>\n

For the District 5 office, according to the elections code, Kertes needed to gather 60 signatures favoring the recall. He gathered 90 signatures.\u00a0<\/p>\n

In order to recall Jain, 2,050 voters must favor the recall. The recall election must be held between 88 and 125 days from the time the recall is initiated. Unless a regular election takes place during that time, the recall would be a special election.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s not just what Kertes is calling unaddressed issues, either. He said Jain has lowered ethical standards, demonstrated by his protection of former Santa Clara Vice Mayor Anthony Becker, who a jury convicted of perjury last year. Kertes said that unwillingness to turn in Becker makes Jain ill-suited to lead the city.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cAny other city council would have been censured. We should be held as council members to a higher standard,\u201d he said. \u201dMy values and ethics should be stronger than anyone\u2019s. If it were me, I would have said something right away.\u201d<\/p>\n

However, the Santa Clara County District Attorney\u2019s Office has not charged Jain with any crime.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Kertes is no stranger to allegations. Last year, he bore the brunt of allegations that claimed he colluded to bamboozle his former employer. The case was later settled, clearing him of any wrongdoing.<\/p>\n

As a result of the negative attention focused on him for those allegations, Kertes took umbrage with The Weekly\u2019s publication of the lawsuit. He hand-waved comparisons to allegations against Jain and those against him, saying they are \u201cdifferent.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n

But Jain said Kertes is just grumbling because he lost, claiming Kertes just wants a do-over.<\/p>\n

\u201cMy contention is that the people knew all this, and they voted for me<\/a>,\u201d Jain said. \u201cThis is basically all he has against me. He is saying I am unethical \u2026 He can make these vague statements and create doubt in people\u2019s minds.\u201d<\/p>\n

Jain challenged Kertes\u2019 assessment that city salaries are bloated, pointing to the disparity between City Manager Jovan Grogan and fired City Manager Deanna Santana.<\/p>\n

In 2024, Grogan\u2019s total pay and benefits were $536,152, according to Transparent California. In 2022, her last year working for the city, Santana\u2019s total pay and benefits were $785,295.<\/p>\n

Adjusted for inflation, Santana\u2019s salary and benefits would have been worth more than $841,000 in 2024, according to the U.S. Inflation Calculator.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Not to mention, Jain added, while overall salaries may be higher, the city\u2019s budget has also grown substantially.<\/p>\n

In 2019-2020, the city\u2019s budget was $955 million, according to city budgets. The most recent budget shows the city\u2019s budget is now $1.2 billion.<\/p>\n

As for the downtown, Jain said he cannot force a developer to propose development.<\/p>\n

Jain scoffed at the notion that his policies are hurting the quality of life.<\/p>\n

\u201cMy neighbors absolutely love me,\u201d Jain said. \u201cTo allege that I have degraded the quality of life is total crap.\u201d<\/p>\n

Cost estimates for \u2014 potentially two \u2014 special elections were unavailable from the RoV. Although the Santa Clara County website doesn\u2019t list how it calculates costs for elections, neighboring Alameda County does.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Alameda County, according to its website, estimates that special elections cost between $23 and $25 per registered voter for a stand-alone special election. One that coincides with a countywide primary election costs between $8 and $10 per registered voter. One that coincides with a general election costs between $5 and $7 per voter.<\/p>\n

District 5 has 9,971 registered voters, according to Ballot Box.\u00a0<\/p>\n

So, if Alameda County\u2019s estimates are in the same ballpark as Santa Clara County\u2019s, each election would cost between $229,333 and $249,275 for a special election, between $79,768 and $99,710 for a primary and between $49,855 and $69,797 for a general election.<\/p>\n

Contact David Alexander at\u00a0d.todd.alexander@gmail.com<\/a><\/p>\n

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