Santa Clara County leaders this year may move forward with overhauling how they’re elected with a system called ranked choice voting. The Board of Supervisors could discuss adopting the system in August. The change would rid the county supervisors, district attorney, sheriff and assessor of the need for primary elections that see low voter turnout,...
Cupertino park will boost equity, advocates say
A new Cupertino park and trail expansion 20 years in the making is one step closer to construction, and advocates say it could create more equity across the city. The Cupertino Planning Commission unanimously approved the Lawrence-Mitty Park and Trail project’s conceptual design last week. The roughly 7.8-acre, half-mile project could provide picnic and play...
San Jose school district fails to honor teacher pay agreement
San Jose teachers are protesting a broken promise made by the largest school district in the city. Waving signs saying, “Honor Your Commitment,” “Support Us Like We Support Our Students” and “The D.O. needs to Do Right,” hundreds of San Jose Teachers Association and community members marched in solidarity to the San Jose Unified School...
Santa Clara County could lose millions if Newsom changes law
Santa Clara County may lose millions of property tax dollars to charter schools while teetering on the edge of a fiscal cliff. That could happen under a law change that Gov. Gavin Newsom wants approved to tackle the state’s own cash-strapped budget this year. It stems from a yearslong fight between the state and five...
Southern Italy-style restaurant drawn to downtown Campbell
A new restaurant that captures the flavors of Southern Italy is now part of Campbell’s bustling downtown district scene. Doppio Zero, located at 220 E. Campbell Ave. in the heart of downtown, recently opened its doors, offering homemade pasta and wood-fired Neapolitan pizza. The restaurant includes a full bar and indoor and outdoor seating for...
San Jose mobile home park sits next to health hazard
A community of 40 mobile homes in South San Jose sits next to one of the city’s staging grounds for trash collection, which is creating health hazards for residents. The Walnut Mobile Home Park, which houses more than 100 residents, butts up against the city’s South Yard on Monterey Road. Beautify San Jose, a city...
State cuts will hurt Santa Clara County domestic violence services
Santa Clara County residents fleeing domestic violence may have a harder time finding safety come July. Due to a slashing of federal funding for crime victims, Gov. Gavin Newsom has proposed a nearly 45% reduction in money to crime victim services in the state. These cuts could mean the shuttering of domestic violence shelters, longer...
Sunnyvale official’s social media campaigning draws questions
Elections watchdogs and Santa Clara County residents are keeping a keen eye out for ethics issues as campaign season ramps up, with one member of the Sunnyvale City Council already drawing their attention to his Facebook page. Councilmember Russ Melton has made multiple posts about his mayoral candidacy on his government-affiliated Facebook page, which identifies...
San Jose officials criticized amid calls for homeless services audit
Homeless advocates holding signs that said “Karen” and “Sweep Baby Sweep” disrupted two San Jose officials at a news conference calling for the city to audit its spending on homeless services. Councilmembers Bien Doan and Arjun Batra on Thursday called for an audit of how much San Jose is spending on supportive services, removing encampments,...
‘Travesty of justice’: Silicon Valley GOP defends Trump after conviction
Silicon Valley’s top GOP leader says the region’s Republicans are standing by Donald Trump after he became the first U.S. president convicted of a crime — calling the felony convictions a “travesty of justice.” “The lawfare being waged against the former president and those who advised him or served in his administration by partisan Democrats...