Santa Clara and the San Francisco 49ers have settled their last outstanding lawsuit after years of conflict, taking a step toward reconciliation. The settlement will generate $20 million for Santa Clara over the next two years through changes to the city’s contracts with the 49ers, including $2.8 million in the next fiscal year, according to...
Sunnyvale voters to decide on library renovation
Sunnyvale voters will have a tax measure on their November ballot — a long-needed bond to renovate the city’s public library. The Sunnyvale City Council voted unanimously on Tuesday to move forward with a $290 million general obligation bond to support rebuilding the city’s main public library, and axing plans for a property transfer tax ...
Santa Clara County open to Tasers despite drop in uses of force
Santa Clara County leaders may equip sheriff’s deputies with Tasers as uses of force trend downward. The Board of Supervisors on Tuesday voted 4-1 — with President Susan Ellenberg opposed — to explore implementing Tasers for deputies at a smaller scale than Sheriff Bob Jonsen originally requested. After an hour of public comment in which...
Ex-San Jose mayor hit with second federal elections complaint
A new federal elections complaint accuses congressional candidate and former San Jose Mayor Sam Liccardo of hiding his affiliation with a super PAC that paid for a controversial recount that narrowed his competition in the November runoff. The complaint filed by Bay Area attorney Brian O’Grady says the super PAC behind the recount — known...
Silicon Valley high school teachers fight for better wages — again
Melanie Vega always knew she wanted to be a teacher. But with no guarantee of a raise going into next school year coupled with the daily stress of the job, she has decided to stop teaching and leave Campbell Union High School District. Vega, a 30-year-old English teacher who’s worked in the district for seven...
San Jose residents want city to revisit community center spending
While San Jose works to divvy up a hefty donation from Google, residents want to make sure that money goes back to supporting their communities. Part of Google’s $200 million donation to San Jose was $1 million to support the Gardner Community Center, with the goal of reopening the center with more programs for residents....
San Jose advocates want better data on missing Indigenous women
Local health care representatives and activists are raising awareness for a national issue going under the radar: the alarming rate of Indigenous women who are missing or murdered. Community members gathered at San Jose City Hall on Tuesday to raise awareness for the disproportionate violence Indigenous women face — which in certain communities is 10...
Bloomberg helped fund Silicon Valley congressional recount
New financial disclosures are peeling back the curtain on who helped fund the recent Congressional District 16 recount — starting with former New York City Mayor and billionaire Michael Bloomberg. A super PAC called Neighbors for Results, which Bloomberg infused with $500,000 in February, paid $102,000 to another super PAC called Count the Vote between April...
West Valley city faces multimillion-dollar shortfall
One West Valley city will be forced to tighten its belt in the coming years, as it faces a multimillion–dollar budget shortfall largely due to factors outside its control. Campbell anticipates roughly $66 million in revenue for fiscal year 2024-25, but expects to spend about $70 million, resulting in an estimated $4 million budget deficit....
Silicon Valley nonprofit shutters homeless support group
A homeless support group in San Jose is closing down, and members are unsure about whether they will be able to continue their work. Sacred Heart Community Service shuttered its homelessness organizing committee, Survivors of the Streets (SOS), and let go of the group’s organizer, citing dwindling resources. This loss comes at a pivotal moment...