SANTA CLARA — The city will hold two elections for police chief next year, after former chief Michael J. Sellers retired more than a year before his term was set to end in December 2020.
Sellers, who narrowly won reelection in 2016 by 105 votes, announced this summer that he would retire effective Sept. 1. Santa Clara is the only California city to elect its police chief, per provisions of the citys charter.
With his seat now vacant, council members had the option of appointing someone to serve the rest of Sellers term, or calling for a special election to fill the position.
At a special meeting Wednesday evening, council members opted not to make an appointment and instead will hold a special election in March 2020 to elect a chief to serve until December.
Voters will then decide during the general election in November 2020 to elect someone to serve a full four-year term as police chief.
The council would not have had enough votes — six out of seven needed — to appoint a replacement chief. Councilwoman Patty Mahan said at Wednesdays meeting that she believes the decision should go directly to voters, while Councilwoman Karen Hardy was absent from the meeting.
Councilwoman Debi Davis cited a meeting last year, after the resignation of former councilman Dominic Caserta amid growing sexual misconduct allegations against him. Council members spent several hours interviewing candidates for Casertas seat but could not agree on a person to appoint.
“It clearly was a waste of everyones time,” Davis said. “I want to go right to an election and not deal with what we dealt with in the past.”
A few residents called on the council to appoint Assistant Chief Dan Winter to serve out the rest of Sellers term. Without an appointment, Winter will be in charge until a new chief is elected.
“Im concerned about having two elections next year — the entire year (will be) a campaign year, and its an unnecessary expense for the city and time demand for candidates,” said Grant McCauley, a member of the chiefs Advisory Committee.
Holding the police chief election in March 2020 to coincide with the primary election is expected to cost the city $174,000, according to an estimate from the Santa Clara County Registrar of Voters. Because the city is also expecting a vote on an unrelated charter amendment, the total cost to the city for a March election is $270,000, said city spokeswoman Lenka Wright.
“Id love to save the candidates or public the issue of going through two elections, but I dont see a way there,” said Councilmember Teresa ONeill.
In 2016, Sellers held onto his seat by just 105 votes against challenger Sgt. Pat Nikolai, a former Santa Clara Police Officers Association leader. Two weeks before the election, the police association approved a vote of no confidence against Sellers.
When he announced his retirement in June, Sellers said he wasnt being pushed out of the department and wanted to retire for health reasons.
“People dont realize that as chief youre working 60-plus hours, seven days a week, and it takes a toll on your personal life and your health,” Sellers told this news organization in June. “So its come time where Ive looked around for the right time to retire … (and) Ive decided this is the right time for me, so I can spend time for myself, getting healthy and spending some quality time with my family.”
