Santa Clara resident and small business owner Kirk Vartan is Mayor Lisa Gillmor’s special advisor on worker cooperative initiatives and small businesses.
Santa Clara resident and small business owner Kirk Vartan has been a special advisor to Mayor Lisa Gillmor for the last three years, but now the city says it was never aware of the appointment — and few records between the two exist, sparking concerns about transparency, ethics and even legal complications.
Vartan elaborated on his role, saying he keeps the mayor informed on worker cooperatives and “what is happening in this space, relevant legislation and other items that could impact worker cooperative small businesses, and when appropriate, small businesses in general.” Councilmember Anthony Becker told the Mercury News that he has concerns about potential conflicts of interest, and questions whether Vartan needs to register as a lobbyist. The political fallout around the title of “special advisor,” which Vartan said he has only used publicly once or twice “when representing the mayor’s interest in participating in a cooperative conference, or around supporting legislation,” has also created a distraction, Becker said.
Vartan’s advisor role could also have some California Public Records Act implications. The 1968 law details what kinds of information government agencies and politicians have to hand over to the public if requested.
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