San Jose officials are reckoning with a political fight over a park important to the city’s older Vietnamese community. The issue reached a handful of councilmembers at Wednesday’s Rules and Open Government Committee, which voted unanimously with brief discussion for a clear explanation as to how the parks department manages access to the Vietnamese Heritage...
San Jose residents dispute outreach on safe sleeping site
A potential sanctioned encampment for homeless individuals near San Jose’s Watson Park has some neighbors upset with what they perceive as a lack of outreach. City officials have zeroed in on the first potential safe sleeping site at 1157 E. Taylor St., which could open as early as the beginning of next year with other sites to follow....
Santa Clara mayor’s push to win back power
In an effort to wrangle power and secure a favorable majority in her final term, Santa Clara Mayor Lisa Gillmor has handpicked two candidates to challenge her loudest critics on the City Council and is supporting two others — a move that could advance her political agenda and shape her legacy. This November, voters will decide...
Cupertino politician drops reelection bid
A Cupertino incumbent is dropping out of the City Council race to focus on her health, leaving an open seat in November. Councilmember Hung Wei suspended her campaign Tuesday to prioritize her health after battling stage four lung cancer since June. She will finish her term through December before leaving Cupertino politics for the time...
Why San Jose is swapping e-scooter companies
Lime and Bird brand electric scooters are disappearing from San Jose streets as the city brokers an exclusive deal with another company to launch up to 1,000 e-scooters. City transportation officials made the switch to Spin scooters Sept. 1, as they slowly phase out Bird’s remaining fleet of about 200 scooters. Micromobility devices like e-bikes,...
UPDATE: San Jose scraps plan to sell tiny homes site to county
After angry community protests, San Jose officials are scrapping plans to sell Santa Clara County a tiny homes site to house incarcerated people with mental health issues on the south side of the city. Councilmember Arjun Batra, who has vowed to stop the sale, confirmed to San José Spotlight that the city will put the...
Election 2024: Madison Nguyen could make history again in D2 county race
Madison Nguyen, wearing black athletic pants and tennis shoes, walks with her 12-year-old daughter Olivia Tran in scorching 93-degree heat, canvassing an East San Jose neighborhood across from Story Road. They coordinate reading out house numbers, before her daughter jogs down the street to convince residents to vote for her mom as the next Santa...
San Jose councilmembers team up to lobby city
Terming out of office hasn’t kept San Jose policymakers from sticking around City Hall as paid lobbyists. But the business of swaying former colleagues is becoming a crowded field. Councilmember Sergio Jimenez is jumping into the elected official to lobbyist pipeline. He’s already formed a new consulting firm before terming out of his council seat...
West San Jose development cuts affordable apartments
A proposed West San Jose housing project that would have added more than 100 affordable homes has been scrapped. Sand Hill Property Company had a previously approved redesign for nearly 1,000 apartments across four separate buildings at the El Paseo de Saratoga shopping center, 150 of which would have been affordable housing. But the developer...
Silicon Valley political groups fail to meet transparency requirements
Campaign finance reports are crucial to learning who’s funding elected office seekers. But new data shows Santa Clara County is rife with disregard for election transparency laws. Nearly 40 political campaign committees across the county have failed to file transparency reports by legal deadlines since 2018 — in many cases even after receiving two written...