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Established in 1777 with the building of Mission Santa Clara de Asis, Santa Clara is also the site where Santa Clara University, a private Jesuit school, was founded in 1851. All that history aside, the Mission City is now a center of the high-tech industry and the home of the San Francisco 49ers. It was recently ranked as the eighth most livable mid-size city by SmartAsset.com.
Elected by all voters, Santa Clara’s mayor serves a four-year term. The six councilmembers are elected by districts. Meetings are open to the public.
Regular meetings of the Santa Clara Planning Commission meetings take place the second and fourth Wednesday of each month at 6 p.m. Meetings are open to the public.
Eight years ago, Santa Clara approved a policy to prohibit anyone from serving more than two terms on the city council or as mayor. But the city’s top political leader — Mayor Lisa Gillmor — might have broken that rule.
Special interest groups have sunk millions of dollars into November's Santa Clara city elections to decide its future government.
Santa Clara political observers worry that former officials are making moves to return to City Hall.
