Ireland trip almost costs San Jose its ability to govern

The San Jose City Council has managed to avoid violating its travel policy by having two of its six members withdraw from a planned trip to Ireland.

In 2018, the city enacted a policy to limit councilmember travel during sessions after a majority of the council disrupted governance by traveling to Okayama, Japan. The policy restricts more than five councilmembers from being absent simultaneously if it affects essential meetings. Previously, multiple legislative sessions had to be canceled due to a lack of quorum.

On Tuesday, Councilmembers Omar Torres and Peter Ortiz withdrew from the trip to Dublin, Ireland, scheduled for next month, thereby preventing a potential policy breach.

“I need to focus on preparing for fiestas patrias, which is a significant event here at San Jose City Hall,” Torres explained. “I’m heavily involved in organizing this community event for our Mexican American community, so I need to remove myself from consideration for this trip.”

Ortiz did not provide a reason for his withdrawal during the discussion.

A similar situation arose in March 2023 when six councilmembers planned to join the San Jose Chamber of Commerce on an annual trip to Phoenix, Arizona. Councilmember Sergio Jimenez withdrew to avoid potentially breaching the policy.

Councilmember Pam Foley noted that the upcoming trip will involve meetings with the Dublin City Council, the Irish National Government, and the Dublin Chamber of Commerce. San Jose last sent a delegation to Dublin in 2018, maintaining a “sister city” relationship since 1986.

“This will be my first delegation trip to Dublin as a Director on the Sister Cities International (SCI) Board,” Foley said in a memo earlier this month. “SCI plays a vital role in fostering global connections and advancing President Dwight Eisenhower’s vision of cultural exchange, economic cooperation, and mutual understanding.”

Mayor Matt Mahan appointed Foley to lead the delegation from September 9-12, partly due to her Irish heritage.

“Councilmember Foley is our liaison to the sister cities program and is deeply committed to it,” Mahan said.

Foley will be accompanied by Vice Mayor Rosemary Kamei, Councilmembers Dev Davis, and Sergio Jimenez. They will miss the September 10 city council meeting, but it will proceed as there will be enough councilmembers present.

However, the Rules and Open Government Committee meeting on September 11 will be canceled due to the absence of four out of five councilmembers.

Foley will cover her travel expenses through a combination of her district office budget and personal funds, while the remaining councilmembers will use their district office budgets.

The 2024-25 travel budget for the mayor and city council is $10,000, with $2,000 already allocated for the League of California Cities Annual Conference in October.