Letter Raises Fairness Questions About Goleta Councilmember and LEAP
A letter to the editor in the Santa Barbara Independent raises fairness concerns regarding Goleta City Councilmember James Kyriaco. The author notes Kyriaco's wife serves on the board of a charity, LEAP, which recently held a candidate forum. Previously, Kyriaco…
Santa Barbara Santa Maria San Luis Obispo, CA, October 17, 2026 —
A letter to the editor published in the Santa Barbara Independent has raised questions about transparency and fairness involving Goleta City Councilmember James Kyriaco and the charity LEAP.
The letter’s author points to two connections: Kyriaco’s wife serves on LEAP’s board, and the organization recently held a candidate forum. The author also notes that Kyriaco previously voted in favor of a city grant to LEAP without disclosing his wife’s board position, according to the summary of the letter.
The concerns center on whether the relationship and the grant vote were handled transparently, as well as whether the circumstances raise fairness questions in local politics. The information provided does not establish that Kyriaco violated a rule or that the grant decision was improper. It describes concerns raised by the letter’s author.
Several details are not available in the account of the letter. The grant amount, the date of the vote, the timing of the candidate forum and any applicable disclosure requirements were not provided. The account also does not say whether Kyriaco or LEAP responded to the concerns, or whether the councilmember took part in any further decisions involving the charity.
Without those details, the issue remains framed as a matter of public concern raised in a letter to the editor, rather than a finding about the councilmember’s conduct. The author and the full text of the letter were not identified in the information provided.
Story summarized from the original created by Indy Staff on www.independent.com, see more information here.
