Cupertino City Councilmember R. “Ray” Wang is facing criticism from residents over his frequent absences from City Hall, as he increasingly participates in council meetings remotely while traveling for business.
Wang had virtually attended roughly 30% of the meetings this year, dialing in from Texas and as far away as Dubai.
He’s also cut two meetings short due to his travel, which delayed critical city business for weeks. One of those delays was a vote on the Stevens Creek Boulevard Corridor Vision Study, a key regional safety project, until after the council’s month-and-a-half recess.
Residents who spoke to the San Jose Spotlight expressed concern that his frequent traveling undermines his involvement in the community and with his constituents. Others said that his international business ventures give him a unique perspective.
Councilmember Wang maintains that his travels do not affect his ability to serve the City. “If anybody wants to reach out to me or has a question — if they can’t get a hold of me, I would be very surprised,” he told the San José Spotlight. “I’m here for the residents.”
Wang’s ethics have been called into question multiple times in recent years in his roles with the city.
Most recently, Wang threatened legal action against longtime resident Jean Bedord, publisher and editor of the Cupertino Matters blog, for defamation due to a comment made on social media platform Nextdoor in September 2024. The comment stated that Wang has “a previous history of sexual harassment.”
In 2023, Wang was removed from the Planning Commission over allegations that he harassed City staff during the housing element process.
Allegations against Wang stretch as far back as 2003 when he was sued by former Redwood City Planning Commissioner Rosanne Foust for harassment and stalking.
While that civil matter was settled out of court, Wang was ultimately charged with a misdemeanor and two felonies. Mr. Wang pleaded no contest to the misdemeanor charge and the two felonies were dismissed because of a negotiated settlement, according to reports.
Wang narrowly won his council seat by 64 votes in 2024.