Public Trust Partners
Public Trust Partners
Frequently Asked Questions
1. Who We Are & Why We Exist
Public Trust Partners is a growing community of Santa Clara residents, business owners, and other stakeholders rebuilding trust in local government by holding city leaders accountable for ethical leadership and good governance.
We stay informed, analyze decisions through an ethics lens, engage in respectful dialogue, speak up, speak out. and take action for the common good. We celebrate good governance and call out decisions that damage trust.
2. Why Now?
Three Santa Clara County Civil Grand Jury investigations (2022, 2024) documented systematic ethics failures by the City Council, Stadium Authority, and San Francisco 49ers—the city's tenant in city-owned Levi's Stadium.
City officials denied most findings and recommendations. Of those they did accept, they have primarily chosen to delay, stall, hire consultants, and commission future studies.
In 2022, a member of the council majority, elected with unprecedented amounts of 49er PAC support, leaked the first Civil Grand Jury report a few days early to a 49er executive and to the Silicon Valley Voice. The 49ers used local newspapers to get out their message that the Civil Grand Jury was incompetent and politically motivated.
The councilmember was convicted of perjury for lying under oath about the leak and of a misdemeanor for leaking it in the first place. He appealed the conviction. His next hearing is scheduled for March 6, 2026.
The Citty Council/Stadium Authority and senior City/Stadium Authority staff have continued to ignore ethics issues, or treat them as optional, add-ons, political weapons, or the enemy.
Many residents are upset about this, but the Council Governance & Ethics Committee, based on staff recommendations, has restricted the opportunities the public has to speak to the 2 minute comment on agenda items and the 3 minute public comment, when the Council listens but doesn't respond.
3. Be a Role Model or a Warning
Here's another example of faulty decision-making. Measure J (2010) promised a community gathering space in Levi's Stadium. Fourteen years later, an adequate space still doesn't exist. In its 2025 update to Outplayed, the city told the Civil Grand Jury it would address this issue in 2027—after Super Bowl 60 and FIFA World Cup.
The Council majority still puts 49ers priorities over the city's so much, and they have been doing it so long, that reasonable people are asking if the council majority can tell the difference between what advances the public and what advances the 49ers.
We stay informed, analyze decisions through an ethics lens, engage in respectful dialogue, and speak up. We celebrate good governance and call out decisions that damage trust.
Many people want to see the city change direction and rebuild public trust. But there is no public forum where people on all sides can engage in public deliberations about important matters. Public Ethics Now is creating such a space.
Before you join this community, please read the community standards located here. They can also be found through the Discussion Standards link at the top of the page.
We're building a community of respect on our way to a community of trust. Everyone is welcome. Everyone's talents matter. Everyone's time is respected.
4. Privacy and Security
Your privacy is paramount. Here's our commitment:
- Your real name is known ONLY to the site administrator and will NEVER be sold or shared without your explicit permission
- Exception: Potential law violations, self-harm threats, or similar safety concerns
- All Public Trust Partners members are verified real people
- Your PEN Name protects your privacy while ensuring authentic community engagement
- Your email will only be used for article notifications and important site updates
- Your phone number is for verification purposes only and will never be shared
5. Why We Verify
We collect real names and phone numbers to ensure our community consists of genuine Santa Clara stakeholders, not bots or trolls. Your real identity will never be revealed without your explicit permission (except in cases of legal requirements or safety concerns).
6. What's Coming
a. Current Phase (Launch - March 2025):
Dr. Tom Shanks is covering all costs and providing all labor for PublicEthicsNow.com. This includes research, writing, analysis, website management, and community moderation. All content remains free and accessible to everyone.
b. Future Sustainability (Starting Spring 2026):
In approximately three months, we'll introduce a voluntary member support model. We'll ask those who find this work valuable to help it grow and sustain itself through contributions—starting as low as $1.
We'll discuss the fee structure with you before implementing anything. Your input will shape how this works.
c. Why Member Support?
- No advertising means no conflicts of interest
- No sponsorships means no influence from parties we're covering
- Reader support keeps the work independent and accountable to you
- When you invest in something—even a small amount—you're more likely to engage with it, share it, and help with its quality.
d. Nonprofit Status:
We're considering establishing Public Ethics Now as a nonprofit organization to formalize our commitment to public service rather than profit. This is another decision we'll discuss with the community before finalizing.
Bottom line: This work needs to be sustainable to continue. But we'll build that sustainability together, transparently, with your input.