San Jose Mayor Ron Gonzales indicted

Charges of conspiracy, bribery, embezzlement
and destruction of government documents

Mayor Ron Gonzales, right. (File photo)
Photo(s) by Luke Thomas

By Jason Bennert, Bay City News Service

June 22, 2006

SAN JOSE (BCN) - San Jose Mayor Ron Gonzales was booked this morning on charges of conspiracy, bribery, embezzlement and destruction of government documents, according to the booking sheet filed after he surrendered at the Santa Clara County Sheriff's Office.

Gonzales' spokesman David Vossbrink confirmed today that the mayor had been indicted on six counts but said Gonzales had not seen the indictment and would not comment except to maintain that he has broken no laws.

"The mayor has said he has done nothing wrong. He intends to finish out his term,'' Vossbrink said. Gonzales and his budget aide Joe Guerra posted bail this morning pending a court hearing on Monday, Vossbrink said. Vossbrink has referred further questions to Gonzales' attorney, Allen Ruby, who was not immediately available this afternoon.

The Santa Clara County district attorney's office is holding a news conference Friday afternoon to discuss the results of a grand jury investigation into the Norcal Waste Systems deal involving Gonzales, and prosecutors said in a statement they would not comment before the news conference.

Gonzales has been under fire for a year after a Santa Clara County civil grand jury issued a report blasting him for a so-called backroom deal with Norcal in 2000 that resulted in the City Council raising garbage rates by 9 percent in May 2003. Gonzales has claimed he did not break any laws and was trying to avoid labor unrest among the city's garbage haulers when he agreed to increase Norcal's contract to meet any wage increases.

News of the mayor's arrest prompted calls for him to step down. Both of the San Jose City Council members running to succeed Gonzales called for his resignation or possible removal from office this afternoon.

"My hope is that Mayor Gonzales does what he knows is right for the city and steps aside,'' Vice Mayor Cindy Chavez said.

Chuck Reed, who along with City Councilman David Cortese called for Gonzales to resign back in December, said he believes the mayor should step down or be removed from office.

"I thought there were sufficient facts at that time and I still believe that,'' Reed said.

Councilman Ken Yaeger also called today for Gonzales' resignation.

Cortese re-affirmed his belief that the mayor "needs to go.''

"The dark clouds over City Hall have become a storm. He needs to fight this from his living room, and not from the 18th floor of City Hall,'' Cortese said.

Both Chavez and Reed called for the City Council to appoint an interim mayor for the remainder of Gonzales' term, which expires on Dec. 31.

Both also said they do not want the job because of their mayoral campaigns. They were the two top vote-getters in the June 6 election and are facing one another in the November runoff.

"I think it ought to be somebody who's not going to be a partisan,'' Reed said.

Reed suggested City Councilwoman Linda LeZotte because she is termed out at the end of the year and her successor was elected earlier this month.

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