City Hall Governance — Legal Battles & Accountability
active• milpitas
Milpitas's City Council has been embroiled in ongoing legal and governance controversy stemming from the ouster of former City Manager Steve McHarris. McHarris filed a wrongful termination lawsuit against the city in late 2023, alleging he was fired for refusing political interference from former Mayor Rich Tran and Mayor Carmen Montano, including pressure to terminate a staff member over alleged political loyalties. The city denied wrongdoing and hired an outside law firm to conduct a parallel investigation — a decision that Councilmember Hon Lien and others have criticized as a waste of taxpayer money. The legal costs have escalated significantly, and the case remains unresolved. Adding to the governance concerns, two Asian-American candidates in Milpitas's 2024 election cycle had their campaign signs defaced with anti-Asian slurs — a disturbing reminder that the city's remarkably diverse community is not immune to hate-motivated attacks.
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Related cause: Governance
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