Local

Local

San Jose lawmaker running for county supervisor

San Jose Councilmember Sylvia Arenas is running for Santa Clara County District 1 supervisor, campaign filings show. The newly drawn District 1 expanded during a contentious redistricting process to include San Jose neighborhoods like Evergreen and Silver Creek—the area Arenas currently represents on the City Council—allowing her to throw her hat into the race. District 1...

San Jose’s idea to launch a public bank is off the table

San Jose lawmakers explored forming a public bank a few years ago, but it went nowhere. The idea was introduced by Councilmembers Magdalena Carrasco, Sergio Jimenez and Raul Peralez in a 2019 memo, after San Jose received information that led to the city exploring a banking contract with JPMorgan Chase. The institution had been accused...

Santa Clara County supervisor candidate moves to stay in race

Santa Clara County supervisor candidate Johnny Khamis is moving back into District 1 after a contentious redistricting process drew him out. The Board of Supervisors moved Almaden Valley and Los Gatos out of District 1 into District 5 at the end of last year, as part of a once-in-a-decade adjustment of political boundaries to account for population changes. The redistricting...

Santa Clara County looks for volunteers to tally unhoused population

After canceling the homeless count in 2021, Santa Clara County is looking for volunteers to help gather census data next month. The biennial count is critical for understanding the homelessness crisis and identifying the needs of people on the streets. The county opted to defer the 2021 count due to COVID-19. Advocates said the lack of information has...

San Jose mayoral candidate Matt Mahan leads pack on fundraising

Cash is flooding into San Jose’s mayoral race—a sign the election is going to prove costly for all contenders. Councilmember Matt Mahan leads the way, raising $504,000 from roughly 1,000 donors during the first 23 days of San Jose’s fundraising period. Mahan, a tech entrepreneur who announced his mayoral campaign a little over a year after...

San Jose committee halts Charcot Avenue extension

Contentious plans for the Charcot Avenue Extension project in North San Jose are reaching the end of the road. San Jose’s Rules and Open Government Committee on Wednesday unanimously recommended the city halt plans to build an overpass that would cross over Interstate Highway 880 from Paragon Drive to Oakland Road and divert the remaining...