RON GALATOLO: Former chancellor of the San Mateo County Community College District. The district operates three Colleges: Canada College in Redwood City, College of San Mateo and Skyline College in San Bruno.
Salary: $467,000 annually when he left the district
Hired: 2001
Resigned: 2019
Contractors sued: In 2023, the district sued five contractors to stop them from getting government contracts after they allegedly paid off Galatolo. They are Allana Buick & Bers, McCarthy Building Companies, Bunton, Clifford and Associates (now known as Studio W Architects), Robert A. Bothman Construction and Blach Construction Company. All have denied any wrongdoing.
BY ADRIANA HERNANDEZ
Daily Post Staff Writer
Former San Mateo County Community College District chancellor Ron Galatolo is scheduled to go on trial today (Oct. 20) on charges of taking bribes from contractors, a prosecutor said.
Galatolo, 61, of Menlo Park, is facing criminal charges for allegedly taking bribes from contractors, tax evasion and using district money for his personal legal fees.
The case has taken many twists and turns since his arrest in 2019. One of the witnesses against him will be his ex-wife.
The central allegation in the case is that Galatolo received kickbacks for giving the contractors jobs on the projects that totaled $1 billion. The district went to the voters with three parcel taxes to pay for the work.
Court documents allege Galatolo benefited after giving contracts to five contractors including the Palo Alto architectural firm Allana, Buick and Bers, or AB&B, and McCarthy Building Companies in Santa Clara.
McCarthy got contracts for the new Math and Science Building, or Building 23 at Canada College. The construction of that $64 million project was funded by bond measure money. The district’s board approved a contract for $40 million with McCarthy.
Accused of tax cheating
Galatolo is also charged with lying to the DMV and on tax forms.
Galatolo is accused of saying on his 2017 tax form that he made a $10,000 charitable donation to the Santa Rosa Junior College Foundation Fire Relief Fund to help people after the Tubbs Fire. However, the DA’s office discovered the district’s nonprofit foundation made the donation.
Prices understated
The DA’s office also claims that Galatolo told the DMV he bought a 1963 Corvette for $2,500, yet its actual price was between $63,000 and $100,000.
Similarly, Galatolo allegedly told the DMV that he bought a 2006 Chevy SSR for $1,000. Similar vehicles listed on Carfax sell for around $35,000.
As chancellor emeritus, Galatolo was paid $467,700 a year, the same he was making as chancellor.
That contract, set to expire in 2022, was rescinded by the board in February after it had learned Galatolo had received various gifts from district contractors and was using public funds to fund a retirement account.
Galatolo is out on $150,000 bail and is scheduled to appear in court today (Oct. 20) for the start of his trial in Redwood City.
Nunez to testify
Former vice chancellor of facilities, Jose Nunez, took a plea bargain on Jan. 5, 2022, after being hit with 15 felonies, including embezzlement for steering a contract for a solar power system to a Palo Alto firm, perjury and using college district resources to help a college trustee, the late Tom Mohr, get re-elected to the district’s board. Nunez pleaded no contest to two of the counts, both related to his campaigning on Mohr’s behalf.
If Nunez testifies against Galatolo, holding up his end of the bargain, he will get probation. The penalty for those charges is three years and eight months in jail, Wagstaffe said.
Fantastic. Glad this hasnt been swept under the carpet. Should have been a lot more charges though! Hope justice prevails in this matter.