Unlike the sheriff or the district attorney, people often ask me: “What exactly does the assessor do?” My answer surprises them. “The assessor is not a political position.” Their reaction is almost always the same: “But you get elected, don’t you?” Yes, the law requires election, but after the ballots are counted, there is nothing political about...
Editorial: What a long strange trip it’s been for San Jose
San Jose City Hall encountered a blast from the past at its doorstep Dec. 4. The moment was a reminder of how pivotal San Jose was to the nation’s music scene in the 1960s and 70s. That evening, with a brilliant full moon above, community members unveiled a plaque in the spot where 60 years...
Beall: Building trust through accountability — How the Audit Committee strengthens Valley Water
At Valley Water, we believe accountability and transparency help us better serve the public. One way we uphold these values is through our Board Audit Committee, which provides independent oversight to help strengthen our organization’s performance. The Audit Committee consists of three directors who work under a formal charter. This year, I am proud to...
Op-ed: Troubling patterns of Rishi Kumar’s candidacy for Santa Clara County assessor
Public institutions are built slowly, through decades of effort, trust and responsible stewardship. They can be weakened quickly when leadership disregards the delicate balance required to keep essential services functioning. This is especially true in Santa Clara County, where the property tax system underpins everything from public hospitals and behavioral health to schools, housing programs...
Brennan: When leadership fails, more money won’t fix San Jose parks
San Jose city leaders are discussing spending $2.5 million to place a measure on next year’s ballot to levy a sugar tax or a new property tax assessment for park maintenance. San Jose residents deserve assurance that the Parks, Recreation and Neighborhood Services Department (PRNS) can be an effective custodian of current resources before being...
Philbrick: Increasing e-bike use requires safety education
On any given afternoon in downtown San Jose, you will see people of all ages zooming by — and sometimes through — traffic on electric bikes. The sales of electric bikes, or e-bikes, have grown enormously worldwide in the past decade. In the U.S., 1.1 million e-bikes were sold in 2022, almost four times as...
Urbanowski: What are your holiday traditions?
Whatever winter holiday you might honor or tradition you might practice, December is a month where we mark another cycle around the sun and celebrate it through art and cultural practices. Integral to our ceremonies and our family gatherings are the art, music, dance, theater, crafts and poetry we share. These are our offerings to...
Paz-Cedillos: What gratitude reveals about who we value
Gratitude is a strange emotion to wrestle with in a country that still insists on telling a sanitized Thanksgiving story. We recite the familiar script — a shared harvest, a peaceful gathering — while stepping neatly around the violence that followed. The Wampanoag extended knowledge and hospitality to newcomers who would later drive them from...
Collins: How technology can help with housing affordability
Technology is revolutionizing housing by introducing tech-enabled solutions, reducing construction and regulatory costs and removing transaction friction. Despite limited recent changes in how we build houses, the sector stands at the brink of a major transformation from these innovations. New technologies such as full-size 3D printers are enabling the construction of concrete houses that offer...
Op-ed: A private club shouldn’t control San Jose’s public parks
Great cities have thriving downtowns, where the entire community can partake in joyful and affordable cultural experiences. That is why it is so exciting that San Jose, the national Levitt Foundation and Friends of Levitt Pavilion San Jose have a formal partnership to bring a state-of-the-art performance venue to St. James Park. After 13 years...