Former San Leandro mayor: Our City Council is not functional
Former Mayor Pauline Russo Cutter said she witnessed the same frustrations with certain councilmembers that former City Manager Fran Robustelli outlined in her lawsuit against the city
☕️MORNING BUZZ
—Former San Leandro Mayor Pauline Russo Cutter described the current City Council as dysfunctional, marked by infighting and poor behavior during an interview this morning on East Bay Insiders TV.
Cutter, who served as mayor from 2014 through 2022, said council members are searching for a way to work together, but unity remains elusive.
“Some of the councilmembers are trying to find what that magic potion is to make people get along,” Cutter said. “So far, it has eluded our council.”
On the FBI investigation into San Leandro Councilmember Bryan Azevedo, Cutter noted that while residents are concerned, many are withholding judgment. She emphasized that a potential scandal of this scale is unprecedented in San Leandro political history.
Reflecting on recent events, Cutter called the past two years of her mayoral term the most difficult of her career, and said former City Manager Fran Robustelli, now suing the city, was often frustrated by the behavior of some councilmembers.
“She was upset a lot of the time.” Cutter said of Robustelli.
—We're hitting pause on the written newsletter this week as we take a brief work vacation to recharge and finally tackle a long-running to-do list.
With so many city councils and local agencies on August recess, it’s the perfect time to regroup, refocus, and gear up for a busy fall season of reporting and storytelling.
But we’re not going completely silent.
We’ll be back with a brand-new podcast episode on Friday with guest co-host and former San Leandro Councilmember Lee Thomas.
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