General (09)Date:4/8/2025 6:02:26 PM
From:"Stephanie Mercadante"
To:"Public Comment" publiccomment@anaheim.net
Subject:[EXTERNAL] Regarding: Transparency, Accountability, and Anaheim’s Leadership
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Mayor Aitken,
I write to you today not as a casual observer but as a deeply concerned resident of Anahei m. Recent events—your open letter to
Arte Moreno and Angels Baseball, as well as your statement on Harry Sidhu’s sentenci ng—warrant critical reflection on the
governance, transparency, and trustworthiness of Anaheim’s leadership.
Let’s begin with your open letter to Arte Moreno. You highlight the importance of preservi ng Angels Baseball as part of
Anaheim’s identity. Yet, the vague and outdated lease terms you reference symbolize broader failures i n accountabi lity and
oversight. While you evoke the greatness of Anaheim’s baseball legacy, your words risk panderi ng to resi dents rather than
addressing the systemic mismanagement that has plagued this city. Hundreds of thousands spent on legal disputes by prior
councils reflect a pattern of neglect. This demands clear acknowledgment and meani ngful change. Residents deserve answers
about what went wrong, regardless of your stated reluctance to “relitigate the past.”
Your call for an open and honest conversation about Angels Baseball’s future is commendable, but the past cannot be ignored.
Transparency cannot be achieved through rhetoric alone. Anaheim deserves measurable outcomes, not anecdotes or vague
promises. To many, this feels like the same game with different players—a continuation of patterns of corrupti on rather than a
break from them.
Turning to Harry Sidhu’s sentencing, you claim Anaheim has led significant reforms, declaring i t the most transparent city i n
Orange County, if not all of California. With respect, this assertion is deeply flawed. Transparency i s built on consi stent acti ons.
However, residents face ongoing delays in accessing public records—a critical tool for accountabi lity. Fi ndings from the JL
Group expose lingering secrecy and questionable alliances. The Angel Stadium debacle remains a vivi d remi nder of why public
trust has eroded—secrecy and betrayal of resident interests cannot be dismissed wi th empty words.
Your assurance that “honest, open government” is being upheld rings hollow without demonstrable proof. Compliance wi th the
Surplus Land Act is the bare minimum required by law, not a milestone to strive towards. Whi le you emphasi ze i nvestments i n
schools, parks, affordable housing, workforce training, and open space, an important question remai ns: With what funds are
these investments possible? Anaheim’s serious debt, driven by financial mismanagement, raises si gnificant doubts about the
feasibility of these promises. Without a clear plan to address liabilities and secure resources, these commitments ri sk bei ng
more rhetoric than reality.
The residents of this city demand transparency that is proven, not proclaimed; reforms that are thorough and transformati ve, not
superficial; and accountability that holds leadership to the highest standards of ethics and integri ty.
Thank you.