A San Jose task force aimed at finding ways to eliminate traffic deaths is folding at the end of the year — and while road safety improvements have been made, the city still has work to do in reducing fatalities. San Jose saw its highest rate of traffic fatalities in recent history in 2022 with...
Silicon Valley officials worry about homeless shelter transition
Homeless residents, advocates and local officials have questions about the Sunnyvale Shelter as the facility changes nonprofit operators. The Santa Clara County-owned, 145-bed homeless shelter will change operators on July 1 from HomeFirst to the Bill Wilson Center. Residents are fearful they will be kicked out as the shelter switches from serving unhoused individuals to...
San Jose has 4th highest homeless population in U.S.
San Jose has the fourth highest number of homeless people per capita in the U.S. based on a recent survey, and advocates blame it on multiple problems. An Insider Monkey report shows that for every 100,000 people per capita, San Jose has 363 residents that are homeless. New York City ranks third, Los Angeles ranks...
Santa Clara County politician gets top job in New Mexico
After two attempts to leave Silicon Valley, a South Bay political fixture was chosen to lead a county hundreds of miles away — in New Mexico. Elected leaders in Bernalillo County chose Santa Clara County Supervisor Cindy Chavez to be the county’s top administrator in a split 3-2 vote Tuesday. If she accepts the job...
Santa Clara County loses top election official before November races
Santa Clara County’s top elections official is bowing out four months before the November election and shortly after her office landed in the hot seat over a historic recount. After nearly 30 years leading the Santa Clara County Registrar of Voters through myriad controversies, Shannon Bushey is retiring on Friday due to medical reasons, according...
San Jose BART expansion needs federal funding to finish the job
Construction workers broke ground on BART’s expansion in Santa Clara this week, and officials are banking on federal funding to help finish the job. Santa Clara County Supervisor and VTA Board Chair Cindy Chavez and other labor leaders urged the Federal Transportation Agency on Tuesday to approve VTA’s $6.2 billion funding request to support the...
Sunnyvale’s budget is flush with money
While most of Santa Clara County grapples with balancing budget shortfalls, one city has enough money to set aside for future resident services. Now, city officials have to decide where that money should go. Sunnyvale is putting money into a “set aside” fund, beginning with $3.5 million this fiscal year. The Sunnyvale City Council approved...
San Jose funds affordable housing for low-income families
San Jose leaders have approved $7.3 million in Measure E funds for a very low-income affordable housing development in South San Jose. The $45.4-million multi-family development is the latest affordable housing project to be approved under Measure E since city officials announced $50 million in funding for four projects last October. The 48-apartment project will...
San José Spotlight’s PolitiBeat tackles the future of Silicon Valley
San José Spotlight’s all-day political festival returned for its second year to tackle pressing issues facing Silicon Valley, from artificial intelligence and county elections to the region’s evolving identity. Roughly 200 attendees heard firsthand from local leaders in government, education, technology and development, converging on June 14 at the Hammer Theatre in downtown San Jose...
Silicon Valley transit agency services off track, state audit shows
Santa Clara County’s main transportation agency needs to change how it is governed and improve its transparency with the people it serves, a recent audit reveals. The California State Auditor released an audit of VTA earlier this month, requesting the public transit agency improve its existing operations by taking measures such as strengthening planning and oversight of capital projects,...