For positions as consequential as Vice Mayor or Mayor, these roles carry real responsibility: setting agendas, representing the City publicly, and speaking accurately on behalf of the entire community.
For these reasons, and in light of the record below, Clayton residents have sent a clear and unmistakable message.
Financial Narratives vs. Verified Facts: Holly Tillman’s Track Record
Over an extended period, Holly Tillman promoted a narrative that Clayton was in severe financial distress. These claims took hold before City staff completed the difficult work of correcting years of miscategorized revenues and expenses, and they continued even as audited Comprehensive Annual Financial Reports and public meetings revealed a clearer and more stable financial picture.
During this same period, Councilmember Tillman did not review or approve the City’s budget in two separate years. Despite this, she supported proposed tax increases, advocating for a sales tax increase in 2024 before the City’s financial position was fully understood, and previously promoting discussion of a proposed $400-per-household parcel tax in 2022 without a verified financial basis.
Leadership requires either command of the facts or the restraint to defer to verified data. When alarmist conclusions persist after the record changes, the result is not public understanding; it is public confusion.
Serious Allegations Without Evidence or Closure
Holly Tillman has publicly advanced claims that Clayton is a racist town, that residents are afraid to leave their homes, and that the police department engages in racial profiling. These are not casual remarks; they are serious allegations that can damage public trust, harm morale, and tarnish reputations.
Yet the public record reflects that Councilmember Tillman has not provided:
• Specific incidents
• Supporting evidence
• Public findings
• Clear clarifications or corrections
Leadership requires accountability for words used, particularly when those words accuse an entire community and its public servants of systemic wrongdoing without substantiation.
Calls for Investigations Without Resolution
For more than 15 months, Holly Tillman repeatedly called for investigations into Clayton’s governance and institutions. However, residents have not been presented with publicly documented outcomes, conclusions, or explanations when those calls produced no substantiated findings.
During this same period, she repeatedly characterized City Hall as toxic and hostile, at a time when the City and the remainder of the Council were working to stabilize operations, recruit competent leadership, and rebuild a professional staff environment. Rather than supporting those efforts, this rhetoric sowed discord and uncertainty.
When leaders call for investigations without follow-through or resolution, it fuels fear and division. Responsible leadership explains outcomes or acknowledges when claims do not bear out.
Additional Concerns: Firewise and Representation Responsibilities
Concerns about accuracy and follow-through also extend to how certain initiatives and engagements have been presented.
Councilmember Tillman has cited her involvement with the Firewise program as a significant leadership accomplishment. However, the Firewise program is initiated and administered by the Contra Costa County Fire Protection District, not by the City Council. While cities may support or cooperate with Fire District efforts, councilmembers do not initiate, certify, or control Firewise designation.
The public record does not indicate that these efforts led to the establishment of a recognized or operational Firewise program in Clayton. Presenting this as a City Council-driven achievement blurs lines of authority and risks overstating both involvement and results.
Similar concerns arise regarding Councilmember Tillman’s account of her participation in the League of California Cities conference in Long Beach. On October 15, 2024, the City Council unanimously designated Councilmember Holly Tillman as Clayton’s voting delegate to the League of California Cities Annual Conference in Long Beach, where delegates are responsible for representing their cities and voting at the General Assembly scheduled for 8:30 a.m. on Friday, October 18. Councilmember Tillman departed Long Beach on Thursday evening and was therefore not present for the General Assembly the following morning, leaving Clayton without representation at the time attendance was taken.
At the time she left, there was no indication that a quorum would not be achieved or that the vote would not proceed. Given that the primary purpose of the designation was to represent the City and cast its vote, her early departure raises legitimate questions regarding accountability and the appropriate use of City resources.
Taken together, these episodes reflect a broader pattern: overstating involvement, blurring lines of authority, and revising the narrative after the fact.
The Civil Grand Jury Report: Why Holly Tillman’s Role Raises Questions
The recent Civil Grand Jury report adds another layer warranting scrutiny.
For months before the Grand Jury’s involvement, Holly Tillman, often amplified through the Clayton Pioneer, helped shape a public narrative urging outside intervention and civil grand jury scrutiny. When a report later emerged that tracked many of the same themes, the public was entitled to ask how independence was preserved. The editor of the Clayton Pioneer has acknowledged that many emails received from former City staff were sent directly by Councilmember Tillman.
Even the highly incendiary framing of the Civil Grand Jury report itself, titled “Clayton: Small Town, Big Concerns,” raises legitimate concerns about narrative shaping. That title closely mirrored the storyline Councilmember Tillman had been publicly advancing for months prior.
The effect of that framing was not merely critical; it was reputational. Clayton has long been known as a small, close-knit, welcoming, and resilient community, defined by civic pride and neighborliness. The report’s title and surrounding narrative cast Clayton instead as fundamentally troubled and dysfunctional, creating a lasting and damaging public impression that many residents believe was disproportionate to the verified facts.
When a sitting councilmember actively promotes a narrative of systemic failure, urges outside intervention, and a grand jury report later adopts the same framing, the appearance problem is undeniable. At a minimum, the public is entitled to ask whether advocacy crossed into influence.
Leadership carries a duty not only to critique when warranted, but also to protect the community’s integrity and reputation by ensuring criticism is fair, factual, and proportionate.
What Councilmember Tillman has not clearly addressed is:
• Whether she had any direct or indirect contact connected to the Civil Grand Jury process
• Whether her advocacy remained strictly public commentary or crossed into behind-the-scenes influence
• Why was later-corrected financial information not treated with equal weight
This is not an attack on the Civil Grand Jury system. It is a transparency issue.
Quiet Removal of Prior Claims
At a later point, material appearing on Councilmember Tillman’s website reflecting racial and policing allegations was removed without explanation. If those allegations were accurate, residents deserve to know why they were removed. If they were overstated or unsupported, residents deserve a clear correction.
Leaders correct the record. Silent revisions undermine trust and leave the community without closure.
Transparency and Undisclosed Relationships
Questions also remain regarding Councilmember Tillman’s business relationship with Amy Heins-Shaikh of Wild Cat Consulting. Councilmember Tillman initially supported and voted for Ms. Heins-Shaikh’s appointment to the Planning Commission. It later became publicly known that Ms. Heins-Shaikh was a registered lobbyist in California, an affiliation that was not clearly disclosed during periods when Councilmember Tillman was actively running for City Council and later serving in that role.
It has also been documented that Councilmember Tillman’s photograph appeared on the Wild Cat Consulting website, identifying her as a client, and was later removed. Following public awareness of this relationship, Councilmember Tillman declined to support Ms. Heins-Shaikh’s reappointment to a second term on the Planning Commission, despite having supported her initial appointment.
As of today, the public record does not clearly reflect the nature of their financial or business relationship, including whether any compensation was exchanged or whether services were provided as an in-kind contribution, either of which would have required appropriate disclosure filings if they occurred.
Taken together, these unresolved issues raise substantial concerns regarding transparency, consistency, and judgment that warrant clarification.
For the Vice Mayor or Mayor, transparency is not optional.
Media Alignment and Narrative Amplification
There are unresolved questions regarding Councilmember Tillman’s relationship with the Clayton Pioneer during a period when highly critical narratives about Clayton’s finances, policing, and governance were repeatedly amplified.
Over an extended period, Holly Tillman promoted a narrative that Clayton was in severe financial distress. These claims took hold before City staff completed the difficult work of correcting years of miscategorized revenues and expenses, and they continued even as audited Comprehensive Annual Financial Reports and public meetings revealed a clearer and more stable financial picture.
During this same period, Councilmember Tillman did not review or approve the City’s budget in two separate years. Despite this, she supported proposed tax increases, advocating for a sales tax increase in 2024 before the City’s financial position was fully understood, and previously promoting discussion of a proposed $400-per-household parcel tax in 2022 without a verified financial basis.
Leadership requires either command of the facts or the restraint to defer to verified data. When alarmist conclusions persist after the record changes, the result is not public understanding; it is public confusion.
Serious Allegations Without Evidence or Closure
Holly Tillman has publicly advanced claims that Clayton is a racist town, that residents are afraid to leave their homes, and that the police department engages in racial profiling. These are not casual remarks; they are serious allegations that can damage public trust, harm morale, and tarnish reputations.
Yet the public record reflects that Councilmember Tillman has not provided:
• Specific incidents
• Supporting evidence
• Public findings
• Clear clarifications or corrections
Leadership requires accountability for words used, particularly when those words accuse an entire community and its public servants of systemic wrongdoing without substantiation.
Calls for Investigations Without Resolution
For more than 15 months, Holly Tillman repeatedly called for investigations into Clayton’s governance and institutions. However, residents have not been presented with publicly documented outcomes, conclusions, or explanations when those calls produced no substantiated findings.
During this same period, she repeatedly characterized City Hall as toxic and hostile, at a time when the City and the remainder of the Council were working to stabilize operations, recruit competent leadership, and rebuild a professional staff environment. Rather than supporting those efforts, this rhetoric sowed discord and uncertainty.
When leaders call for investigations without follow-through or resolution, it fuels fear and division. Responsible leadership explains outcomes or acknowledges when claims do not bear out.
Additional Concerns: Firewise and Representation Responsibilities
Concerns about accuracy and follow-through also extend to how certain initiatives and engagements have been presented.
Councilmember Tillman has cited her involvement with the Firewise program as a significant leadership accomplishment. However, the Firewise program is initiated and administered by the Contra Costa County Fire Protection District, not by the City Council. While cities may support or cooperate with Fire District efforts, councilmembers do not initiate, certify, or control Firewise designation.
The public record does not indicate that these efforts led to the establishment of a recognized or operational Firewise program in Clayton. Presenting this as a City Council-driven achievement blurs lines of authority and risks overstating both involvement and results.
Similar concerns arise regarding Councilmember Tillman’s account of her participation in the League of California Cities conference in Long Beach. On October 15, 2024, the City Council unanimously designated Councilmember Holly Tillman as Clayton’s voting delegate to the League of California Cities Annual Conference in Long Beach, where delegates are responsible for representing their cities and voting at the General Assembly scheduled for 8:30 a.m. on Friday, October 18. Councilmember Tillman departed Long Beach on Thursday evening and was therefore not present for the General Assembly the following morning, leaving Clayton without representation at the time attendance was taken.
At the time she left, there was no indication that a quorum would not be achieved or that the vote would not proceed. Given that the primary purpose of the designation was to represent the City and cast its vote, her early departure raises legitimate questions regarding accountability and the appropriate use of City resources.
Taken together, these episodes reflect a broader pattern: overstating involvement, blurring lines of authority, and revising the narrative after the fact.
The Civil Grand Jury Report: Why Holly Tillman’s Role Raises Questions
The recent Civil Grand Jury report adds another layer warranting scrutiny.
For months before the Grand Jury’s involvement, Holly Tillman, often amplified through the Clayton Pioneer, helped shape a public narrative urging outside intervention and civil grand jury scrutiny. When a report later emerged that tracked many of the same themes, the public was entitled to ask how independence was preserved. The editor of the Clayton Pioneer has acknowledged that many emails received from former City staff were sent directly by Councilmember Tillman.
Even the highly incendiary framing of the Civil Grand Jury report itself, titled “Clayton: Small Town, Big Concerns,” raises legitimate concerns about narrative shaping. That title closely mirrored the storyline Councilmember Tillman had been publicly advancing for months prior.
The effect of that framing was not merely critical; it was reputational. Clayton has long been known as a small, close-knit, welcoming, and resilient community, defined by civic pride and neighborliness. The report’s title and surrounding narrative cast Clayton instead as fundamentally troubled and dysfunctional, creating a lasting and damaging public impression that many residents believe was disproportionate to the verified facts.
When a sitting councilmember actively promotes a narrative of systemic failure, urges outside intervention, and a grand jury report later adopts the same framing, the appearance problem is undeniable. At a minimum, the public is entitled to ask whether advocacy crossed into influence.
Leadership carries a duty not only to critique when warranted, but also to protect the community’s integrity and reputation by ensuring criticism is fair, factual, and proportionate.
What Councilmember Tillman has not clearly addressed is:
• Whether she had any direct or indirect contact connected to the Civil Grand Jury process
• Whether her advocacy remained strictly public commentary or crossed into behind-the-scenes influence
• Why was later-corrected financial information not treated with equal weight
This is not an attack on the Civil Grand Jury system. It is a transparency issue.
Quiet Removal of Prior Claims
At a later point, material appearing on Councilmember Tillman’s website reflecting racial and policing allegations was removed without explanation. If those allegations were accurate, residents deserve to know why they were removed. If they were overstated or unsupported, residents deserve a clear correction.
Leaders correct the record. Silent revisions undermine trust and leave the community without closure.
Transparency and Undisclosed Relationships
Questions also remain regarding Councilmember Tillman’s business relationship with Amy Heins-Shaikh of Wild Cat Consulting. Councilmember Tillman initially supported and voted for Ms. Heins-Shaikh’s appointment to the Planning Commission. It later became publicly known that Ms. Heins-Shaikh was a registered lobbyist in California, an affiliation that was not clearly disclosed during periods when Councilmember Tillman was actively running for City Council and later serving in that role.
It has also been documented that Councilmember Tillman’s photograph appeared on the Wild Cat Consulting website, identifying her as a client, and was later removed. Following public awareness of this relationship, Councilmember Tillman declined to support Ms. Heins-Shaikh’s reappointment to a second term on the Planning Commission, despite having supported her initial appointment.
As of today, the public record does not clearly reflect the nature of their financial or business relationship, including whether any compensation was exchanged or whether services were provided as an in-kind contribution, either of which would have required appropriate disclosure filings if they occurred.
Taken together, these unresolved issues raise substantial concerns regarding transparency, consistency, and judgment that warrant clarification.
For the Vice Mayor or Mayor, transparency is not optional.
Media Alignment and Narrative Amplification
There are unresolved questions regarding Councilmember Tillman’s relationship with the Clayton Pioneer during a period when highly critical narratives about Clayton’s finances, policing, and governance were repeatedly amplified.
This is not a critique of journalism. It is a question of role separation and transparency. When a councilmember’s public positions and a publication’s editorial direction appear to move in lockstep, particularly during sustained calls for investigations and civil grand jury involvement, the public deserves clarity.
Stewardship of Public Funds
Councilmember Tillman supported approximately $7,000 in Good Governance training for the City, presenting it as necessary to improve council operations. After the training, she publicly criticized it as ineffective and portrayed the Council as divided.
Council voting records over the past several years have consistently reflected near-unanimous decisions, often 5-0 or 4-1. In those instances where votes were not unanimous, Councilmember Tillman most often cast the sole dissenting vote. The Council is not divided; it is functioning cohesively and aligned in addressing the consequences of prior poor leadership and financial mismanagement, while supporting the current staff’s efforts to correct longstanding errors and restore accurate financial oversight.
Leadership means standing behind decisions or transparently explaining when expectations are not met.
The Standard Clayton Deserves
The Vice Mayor and Mayor must:
• Respect verified facts over narrative
• Use language carefully and responsibly
• Correct the record when claims change
• Disclose relationships that raise reasonable questions
• Protect the integrity of independent oversight
• Treat taxpayer dollars with care
• Unite the community rather than divide it
Based on the public record summarized above, Councilmember Holly Tillman has not yet met those standards.
Conclusion
Taken together, financial mischaracterizations, serious unsubstantiated allegations, prolonged calls for investigations without outcomes, overstated accomplishments, incomplete representation at official forums, unresolved questions surrounding the Civil Grand Jury report, quiet removal of prior claims, unresolved transparency issues, media-alignment concerns, and inconsistent positions regarding taxpayer-funded governance initiatives, the record raises legitimate doubts about Councilmember Tillman’s readiness for Clayton’s top leadership roles.
Until these matters are openly addressed and the record clearly clarified, elevating her to Vice Mayor or Mayor would be premature and inconsistent with the accountability Clayton residents should expect.
This is not about silencing dissent. It is about owning the record, respecting public resources, and earning trust.
Clayton deserves leadership that governs with integrity, speaks with precision, and places facts above narrative. Congratulations to Jeff Wan, Mayor and Rich Enea, Vice Mayor!
Respectfully submitted,
Clayton Watch Team
Stewardship of Public Funds
Councilmember Tillman supported approximately $7,000 in Good Governance training for the City, presenting it as necessary to improve council operations. After the training, she publicly criticized it as ineffective and portrayed the Council as divided.
Council voting records over the past several years have consistently reflected near-unanimous decisions, often 5-0 or 4-1. In those instances where votes were not unanimous, Councilmember Tillman most often cast the sole dissenting vote. The Council is not divided; it is functioning cohesively and aligned in addressing the consequences of prior poor leadership and financial mismanagement, while supporting the current staff’s efforts to correct longstanding errors and restore accurate financial oversight.
Leadership means standing behind decisions or transparently explaining when expectations are not met.
The Standard Clayton Deserves
The Vice Mayor and Mayor must:
• Respect verified facts over narrative
• Use language carefully and responsibly
• Correct the record when claims change
• Disclose relationships that raise reasonable questions
• Protect the integrity of independent oversight
• Treat taxpayer dollars with care
• Unite the community rather than divide it
Based on the public record summarized above, Councilmember Holly Tillman has not yet met those standards.
Conclusion
Taken together, financial mischaracterizations, serious unsubstantiated allegations, prolonged calls for investigations without outcomes, overstated accomplishments, incomplete representation at official forums, unresolved questions surrounding the Civil Grand Jury report, quiet removal of prior claims, unresolved transparency issues, media-alignment concerns, and inconsistent positions regarding taxpayer-funded governance initiatives, the record raises legitimate doubts about Councilmember Tillman’s readiness for Clayton’s top leadership roles.
Until these matters are openly addressed and the record clearly clarified, elevating her to Vice Mayor or Mayor would be premature and inconsistent with the accountability Clayton residents should expect.
This is not about silencing dissent. It is about owning the record, respecting public resources, and earning trust.
Clayton deserves leadership that governs with integrity, speaks with precision, and places facts above narrative. Congratulations to Jeff Wan, Mayor and Rich Enea, Vice Mayor!
Respectfully submitted,
Clayton Watch Team
Let’s cut through the spin from Holly Tillman’s last-ditch social media post to rally support.
ReplyDeleteIn her attempt to gather votes, Holly highlights several accomplishments, but most of them have nothing to do with actually running the City of Clayton. Here’s the reality:
* Leadership with the League of California Cities - regional politics, not Clayton
* Vice President of that same league - not a Clayton city role
* President of Clayton Pride - nonprofit advocacy, not city governance
* Membership in the Clayton Business and Community Association (CBCA) - private organization, not city government
* Board member for the Mt. Diablo Education Foundation - school district, not the city
* Employment with Choice in Aging - nothing to do with Clayton city operations
What actually matters for Clayton?
* Managing the city budget
* Maintaining roads and infrastructure
* Ensuring public safety
* Making transparent, fiscally responsible decisions
* Padding a résumé with outside titles doesn’t equal results for Clayton residents.
Clayton deserves leadership focused on our city, not just regional prestige or personal branding.
Let’s be real: Titles don’t fix potholes. Outside accolades don’t balance budgets. Clayton deserves leadership that puts Clayton first.
The most important thing that was left out of this article is for all those complaining about Tilman being passed over. In 2020 and 2021 Carl Wolfe, Peter Cloven and Holly Tillman passed over then Vice Mayor Wan not once but twice. Vice Mayor Wan was nominated for Vice Mayor in 2019 by their heroine Julie Pierce, the forever incumbent. The first thing they did was pass him over out of political vindictiveness and pure hatred. Carl Wolfe and Peter Cloven cut in line and broke the rotation with the help of Holly Tillman. Both got to be mayor and now Holly is footing the bill. Think about how things would be for Holly Tillman if she had done the right thing like she claims to and not participated in the underhanded move in 2020 and 2021. Holly Tillman did this to herself and continues to isolate herself instead of trying to bond with her colleagues. She voted for Jeff this time and that was for the first time the right thing. She should have voted for Enea. Instead her supporters have resorted to insulting Enea and propping her up as some of martyr when she in fact started this whole rotation break with her two pals who deserted her on the council.
ReplyDeleteHolly consistently plays the victim, but it is clear she is the root cause of her own problems. It must also be acknowledged that the boards of supervisors from last year and this year have intentionally attempted to influence council members to unjustly elevate Holly to a leadership role. Similarly, council members from Concord and Walnut Creek have exerted the same undue pressure. The question is, why are these officials interfering in the governance of Clayton? If this undue influence persists, the council must file formal complaints against these individuals. Any manipulative promises Holly makes to these officials must be addressed, and a formal complaint for interference should be submitted. Tillman is unquestionably not suited for a leadership role.
ReplyDeleteFrom what I heard, her boss is real proud of her because she shows up for work. Unlike what she does here in Clayton. Why would anyone have their boss speak at a council meeting. She doesn’t even live here. How embarrassing!
ReplyDeleteSo true.
DeleteI just finished reading this long, but informative piece. If I were this lady, I would respond and try and clear the air. Not responding . . . is a mistake. She has a lot of explaining to do.
ReplyDeleteTillman consistently withholds the truth because it contradicts her narrative of being indispensable and uniquely capable. She is a significant embarrassment to Clayton.
ReplyDeleteDoes anyone know if there's any truth to rumors about her resignation? I was getting my hair cut today, and I overheard someone mentioning that she might be stepping down soon. With everything I’ve read, she really seems like a troubled woman trying to get attention without knowing what’s she’s doing. I couldn’t believe that she tried to nominate herself.
ReplyDeleteI think it was her husband that is resigning from his position on the CBCA, not Holly.
DeleteA direct open letter to Holly Tillman: Holly, you need to ask yourself the question, why do none of your colleagues nominate you? You have self nominated twice in a process where someone else should nominate you. None of your colleagues nominate you and if you ever did manage to force a vote, no doubt it would be a 4-1 no vote. Why? You want to lead but your colleagues don’t trust you to lead. You need to figure out how to gain the trust and respect of your colleagues. Your supporters are demanding your colleagues to submit to you. That’s not democracy that’s a dictatorship. Stop posting your phony accomplishments and try to work with your colleagues to regain their trust. People don’t follow bad leaders. If you were a true good leader your colleagues would nominate you and support you. You need to look inward and figure it out.
ReplyDeleteThank you to Clayton Watch for providing the video link to the most recent City Council meeting. The emails and ongoing communication are much appreciated.
ReplyDeleteWhen leadership is tested in public, support must be real — and last night made that clear. After a costly campaign and months of positioning, the absence of visible public support was striking. With only two speakers appearing, the gap between narrative and reality was difficult to ignore.
At some point, the record speaks for itself. While it is fair to acknowledge the effort that has been made, the political approach on display has not resonated with the community. It may be time to pause, reflect, and reconsider the path forward. -Barb and Mike
As a Clayton resident and member of Matt's Facebook group, I felt embarrassed and honestly sad reading the post he sent out. It came across as a desperate attempt to get people to show up to the meeting, and unfortunately, that didn’t happen. Saying “this moment is bigger than one person” felt especially off-putting. When you look at the situation and the list of accomplishments being promoted, it sounds more like damage control than genuine community leadership.
ReplyDeleteWhat’s also troubling is that the focus doesn’t really seem to be on Clayton anymore. A lot of the emphasis is on outside roles and organizations rather than on tangible, day-to-day issues facing our city. Leadership in Clayton should be about Clayton first.
Here’s what was highlighted in the post:
- 5 years as a Clayton City Council Member
- Leadership roles in regional and statewide organizations
- President of Clayton Pride
- Involvement with CBCA
- Mt. Diablo Education Foundation
- Employment outside the city
- Firewise efforts
While all of that sounds impressive on paper, it raises a fair question: how much attention is actually being given to the needs of Clayton residents right now?
Sorry Matt, but I'm not buying it. Things need to change. Enough is enough.
And here is what the new vice mayor reported he did in the last month...relevant to Clayton city govt?
DeleteWent to the TRANSPAC meeting
• Attended Elks Club dinner
• Attended Italian American dinner
• Attended Climatic Ceremony ( flip the switch)
• Attended Retired Public Employee Association meeting
• Met with City Manager
• Contact with business owners, residents, and phone contacts.
Yes, city business on several items. Notice he doesn’t turn any of it into photo ops. And he has never done anything divisive like Holly. He hasn’t called our city racist or accused our cops of profiling. He hasn’t made reckless accusations about his colleagues like Holly has. He actually said something important, that he believes everyone should be rotated and should be Vice and Mayor. That was meant for Holly. But she and her ilk along with her supporters like you had to turn it into a mess. So now all of her supporters are calling Enea all kinds of names. Guess since she voted for Jeff this time you all were told to end the hatred towards Jeff and turn it towards Enea. Do you all get together for your two minutes of hate every day now towards Enea? You will never admit that Holly Tillman brought this on herself and you think she is entitled to lead instead of asking the question why do none of her colleagues nominate her?
DeleteThe city council made the right decision to promote Jeff Wan to Mayor and Richard Enea to Vice Mayor. Clayton had a few incompetent mayors in the past, two recently, Cloven and Wolfe, but Clayton has never had a mayor that hates the city, and there is no reason to start now.
ReplyDeleteAgreed. Tillman despises Clayton intensely. There's no other reason for consistently degrading the community where you live.
Deleteit is not hate towards Enea....just ironic that Tillman in attacked for reporting things that are irrelevant, but when Enea tells us he went to an Elks Club or Italian dinner, or showed up at flip the switch event it is meaningful. And if going to a Transpac meeting is city business, which I assume it, then tell us what happened there that affects the city.
ReplyDeleteWell then you should love what Jeff Wan does! Honestly all these “reports” have always been a colossal waste of time. Not too long ago, meetings would start with these reports where council members patted themselves on the back for attending CBCA meetings, going to chili eating contests and the most recent one that went over the top from one council member who was smart enough not to run again, he played bocce ball and felt spiritual. You must not have been paying attention to these “reports” until now. Thankfully these were made written under Mayor Trupiano and we save 20-40 minutes a meeting now without having to listen to such drivel. Maybe you should advocate that these reports go away? Julie Pierce never reported on the junkets ABAG sent her on nor what she voted on at ABAG during these reports. Apparently that didn’t bother you as she voted for more low income housing here in Clayton while at ABAG. If you are trying to make a point it should be that these reports are a total waste of time. Council members should post this stuff on their social media. Jeff Wan doesn’t waste our time telling us about non city related events. Maybe all of them should do the same. We all know who “reports” the most non city business.
DeleteI couldn't have said it better. Those council reports should go away forever into the garbage can. End of story
DeleteMatt's attempts to rally support for Holly are futile. If he's resorting to that, both of them know she's in serious trouble. Holly is only willing to advocate for herself, not others. The most embarrassing moment was Holly's boss claiming she demonstrates leadership by simply showing up for work; by that logic, everyone should receive awards and leadership titles. The entire effort was a complete joke.
ReplyDeleteAnd let’s not forget Councilmember Holly Tillman’s most recent “guest editorial” in The Pioneer, where she characterizes the City’s progress as a “facade,” alleges years of dirty politics and high staff turnover (with no clear evidence offered), and suggests the City is pretending to be perfect and refusing to make improvements.
ReplyDeleteAn interesting take, especially considering that this current Council is the one actually making changes and improvements, while Councilmember Tillman has chosen to remain on the sidelines, offering commentary rather than solutions.
Progress is happening. The work is being done.
The train is leaving the station, Holly, feel free to hop on, or wave goodbye from the platform.
For context, the editorial was authored by Clayton City Councilmember Holly Tillman and published in the now-defunct Clayton Pioneer on August 14, 2025. In it, she opens by wondering what Clayton might look like if people worked together, an ironic premise, given the rest of the piece.
You can read her perspective here (copy and paste the link):
https://pioneerpublishers.com/guest-editorial-a-facade-of-perfection/
I read it several weeks ago and was disgusted and appalled. How she got elected is beyond me. She needs to move on.
DeleteSo many of us wonder why California is in such a mess. We need to stop electing self-serving individuals who don’t put the public first. People need to wake up. I’m glad Clayton Watch has the courage to bring this kind of nonsense to light. Great write-up, and happy holidays.
Delete