Local

Local

Sunnyvale officials rank top priorities for 2024

Sunnyvale officials are prioritizing what local issues they’ll tackle this year, and topics like homelessness and transit safety are topping the list. The Sunnyvale City Council ranked its priority projects out of the 40 proposed on Feb. 15, signaling what the city will be working on — though it could take years for some to...

East San Jose needs more voting centers, leaders say

East San Jose leaders say their neighborhoods face a shortage of voting locations for the March 5 primary election — a problem worsened by language and transportation barriers. There are almost twice as many places to cast your vote in San Jose’s Council District 5, which has no local race, than in District 8 where...

Santa Clara County can’t keep up with housing its homeless residents

For every one Santa Clara County household that was housed in 2023, nearly two households became homeless, a recent report reveals. Approximately 4,297 new households experienced homelessness for the first time last year, according to the county’s year-end analysis of its 2020-25 Community Plan to End Homelessness. That’s a 24% jump from the 3,473 households...

Sunnyvale seeks bids for homeless service provider

Sunnyvale is going back to the market for homeless service providers as officials press the existing partner for results. The Sunnyvale City Council on Tuesday unanimously approved a six-month contract extension to nonprofit homeless provider HomeFirst, totaling $206,710. During that time, the city plans to open submissions for other providers and have a partner picked...

Santa Clara County deputy overtime contributes to ballooning deficit

This year, a multimillion-dollar deficit won’t just threaten Santa Clara County’s essential public services — it will force county leaders to reckon with a decade-long overspending crisis in the Sheriff’s Office. Since 2013, the Santa Clara County Sheriff’s Office has exceeded its budget by millions of dollars annually — and roughly $20 million last year...

Q&A: Where San Jose District 4 candidates stand on issues

Out of several San Jose City Council races this election, one will be decided in the upcoming March 5 primary instead of in a November runoff. That contest is between District 4 incumbent Councilmember David Cohen and Kansen Chu, a former state assemblymember, District 4 councilmember and Berryessa Union School District board member. Unlike the...

Hundreds of homes coming to north Santa Clara neighborhood

There’s a near constant cacophony of hammering, drilling and welding near the Great America Amtrak station as Santa Clara builds up its transit-oriented housing. The Santa Clara City Council on Tuesday unanimously approved a tentative map for another project along this busy stretch of the city. The latest development is a 21-floor, 198-condominium complex. The...

San Jose candidates claim political ads are racist

Silicon Valley election attack ads have reared once more, and some are being viewed as racist. Labor-leaning candidates and leaders are accusing the Silicon Valley Biz PAC and the California Association of Realtors PAC of racist ad tactics against left-leaning candidates running for San Jose City Council. The candidates include Kansen Chu, Domingo Candelas and...