Author: Grace Hase (Grace Hase)

San Jose City Council: Who pays their staff the most?

Who pays interns?  Also working on the floor is a few dozen interns – but they’re not all paid. Most of the councilors without paid interns, however, said that they often offer interns salaries if they wish to continue past their internship period. A spokesperson for Liccardo confirmed that while his office offers year-round paid fellowship programs,...

Some San Jose lawmakers not surprised Evans Lane project stalled

The surprising news that a homeless housing project near Willow Glen that would have turned recycled shipping containers into houses has come to a screeching halt has some officials saying “I told you so.” “At $600,000 per unit, I knew this project couldn’t pencil out,” said Councilmember Johnny Khamis in an interview Tuesday. “After all,...

Despite raise, San Jose lawmakers struggle to survive

Months before a city commission voted to raise San Jose lawmakers’ salaries by tens of thousands of dollars, Councilmember Sergio Jimenez struggled to make ends meet in Silicon Valley despite serving on the council of America’s 10th largest city. He started looking for a second gig to help supplement his family’s income. Now, Jimenez works as...

San Jose approves prevailing wages for private construction projects

While the unlicensed Silvery Towers subcontractor Job Torres Hernandez received his sentence in federal court for harboring undocumented workers in slave-like conditions, San Jose lawmakers on Tuesday passed a law to prevent construction companies from exploiting low-wage workers on private construction projects that receive tax breaks. Spurring from negotiations with labor unions more than a...

San Jose lawmakers to address ‘missing middle’ housing, prevailing wages

Housing officials had originally deferred the missing middle housing debate earlier this month. Since that time, they pulled together more information about a recent homebuyer downpayment assistance proposal from Councilmember Pam Foley, as well as a backyard unit proposal from Mayor Sam Liccardo and Councilmember Magdalena Carrasco, Sylvia Arenas and Foley. Foley’s homebuyer assistance program proposal, which...

San Jose lawmakers narrowly approve budget amid inequity concerns

San Jose City Councilmembers on Tuesday narrowly voted to approve Mayor Sam Liccardo’s June budget message, despite criticism that it didn’t go far enough to address racial and economic inequities in the city. The split vote marked the first time in recent history that nearly half the City Council voted against a mayor’s fiscal budget, which is historically...

San Jose lawmakers expected to approve city budget

After months of preparation, the San Jose City Council on Tuesday is expected to approve the proposed $4.3 billion budget for the 2019-2020 fiscal year. Since March, Mayor Sam Liccardo has released two budget messages that help shape how the city spends public dollars. The mayor’s first message focused on limiting spending to brace for a...

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