Tracy resident and local attorney Steve Nicolaou is once again calling out Councilmembers Eleassia Davis, Mateo Bedolla, and Dan Evans, this time for their handling of their vote to approve Tracy City Attorney Bijal Patel’s retroactive pay raise to a salary of $279,807 per year.
Mr. Nicolaou delivered a Demand Letter to the on January 11th, 2024, directing the city council to “correct or cure” its actions that resulted in a Brown Act Violation.
Patel, in response, personally retained Los Angeles-based attorney, John Natalizio, to assure the city that it “cured” the problem raised by Nicolaou by holding a public hearing on December 19th and therefore making sure her huge salary increase survives.
Here’s Patel in her own words:
While we don’t know the specifics of the conversation between Patel and Natalizio, we can speculate Patel directed Natalizio to confirm that the city was correct in granting her this generous pay raise. We can also speculate why Patel had to go all the way to Los Angeles to find an associate in a big law firm to agree with her. Couldn’t she find someone in Northern California to agree with her?
But, let’s be honest, ethics has been thrown out the door under the Patel controlled city and troika of Davis, Bedolla, and Evans.
Natalizio, it’s worth noting, functions as a “…deputy attorney for numerous other cities throughout Los Angeles County and Orange County. He helps municipalities and special districts navigate through a variety of complex legal issues that arise from the Brown Act…”
He’s a hired gun.
And, per the Tracy Press (read here), Natalizio provided the answer Patel was looking for, that the city may have erred in closed session, but they fixed the problem by holding a public hearing.
It will be interesting how Mr. Nicolaou will react to Natalizio’s response letter that was supported by Mayor Young, Davis, Bedolla and Evans.
Freitas should have intervened when it came to light that Patel was practicing law with a suspended license – temporary or not.
Perhaps a certain Supervisor’s office directed him to stay on the sidelines? Perhaps Freitas’ earlier campaign contributions to troika members influences his vision of justice?
More of this story is sure to come. Stay tuned…
