Caltrain is under fire over a consulting arrangement tied to a deputy executive job that could cost the agency up to $1.4 million, a tab that has staff and local observers asking hard questions. The pay package and how the hire came together are now at the center of a brewing controversy, landing just as the agency warns it may have to slash service without fresh outside funding.
What the board signed off on
According to the San Mateo Daily Journal, the Peninsula Corridor Joint Powers Board first approved a one-year consulting contract worth up to $1.4 million to cover the deputy executive director role, then later amended that agreement to a shorter engagement of roughly $426,000 over five months. Public records cited by the paper show consultant Sherry Bullock billed Caltrain at least $802,000 in 2025. Bullock then accepted the deputy executive director's salary at about $377,000, while Executive Director Michelle Bouchard’s listed pay is roughly $392,000 a year. Critics told reporters the size and length of the consulting work are unusual for standard on-call arrangements and have raised questions about how Caltrain handles procurement and oversight.
Caltrain record shows role and board actions
Caltrain’s June board packet lists Sherry Bullock as Deputy Executive Director, Project Delivery and Caltrain Modernization, and includes staff reports that lay out the program delivery duties tied to that title. Caltrain also shows in its June board materials that the board recently adopted a salary ordinance and reviewed on call contract activity and work directives, context that officials say helps explain how senior project roles are staffed. Agency documents characterize some consultant use as part of delivering large capital projects while also describing an internal push to tighten consultant spending in the coming fiscal year.
Staffers and watchdogs push back
Former Caltrain capital program director Audrey Brook submitted public correspondence arguing that the deputy role was filled through a closed, non-competitive process that sidestepped HR policy. That letter and related materials are now part of the agency’s public records. Several current and former transit professionals told reporters that long-running consultant engagements at high rates are not typical for routine on-call work and deserve closer scrutiny. Board members and staff have publicly wrestled with how to balance the need for specialized project leadership with their duty to taxpayers.
Why this matters: the budget backdrop
Caltrain has warned that, without new outside funding, it faces a multi-year structural deficit and has outlined scenarios that could include large station closures and deep service cuts. Local coverage of recent budget and policy talks has highlighted the agency’s projection of roughly a $75 million yearly shortfall if no new regional revenue appears, along with the role of the SB63/Connect Bay Area measure in potentially filling that hole. Against that financial backdrop, what Caltrain spends on consultants and how it hires them has quickly turned into a live governance fight.
Legal implications
Legal filings and public correspondence cited in reporting state that a lawsuit filed last year alleges Audrey Brook was terminated after taking part in an investigation related to Bullock. That complaint is part of the broader record where the contracting and personnel questions have surfaced. Any civil or employment claims will move forward in court, while the board’s recent governance steps, including the new salary ordinance and efficiency reviews, are set to shape how future hiring and consultant use are handled.
The episode has sharpened scrutiny of how Caltrain staffs senior project roles and what consultant spending means for oversight at a moment when the agency is trying to lock in stable funding. The board is expected to keep digging into budget, contracting and governance issues in upcoming meetings as community members and some staff press for clearer rules on consultant engagements and more competitive hiring.
