With a federal immigration enforcement facility planned just beyond city borders, Gilroy officials are following the path taken by other Bay Area cities in attempting to restrict more projects from being built. The Gilroy City Council on Monday unanimously approved a temporary, 45-day ban on new detention facilities on public- or private-owned property, with the...
How will South Bay transit change if tax increase fails?
Santa Clara County transportation projects could be hurt if a regional tax measure to fund public transit is rejected by voters on Nov. 3, but the impact would be less than other parts of the Bay Area — and the details of service reductions are unclear. Senate Bill 63, also known as the Regional Transit Measure,...
Santa Clara County residents urged to mail back ballots early
Residents across Santa Clara County are receiving their mail-in ballots ahead of the Nov. 3 election, and local election officials are urging them to vote early. Vote by mail packets are going out to more than 1 million active registered voters in Santa Clara County this week. To ensure all votes are counted, officials with...
Santa Clara candidate faces complaint for exceeding donation limits
A Santa Clara official wants the city attorney to review mayoral candidate Kathy Watanabe’s campaign donations, alleging violations of the city’s donor limits. Councilmember Suds Jain’s Oct. 5 complaint said Watanabe’s July campaign filings reported $500 contributions each from Paul Larson and Michael McWalter, but the contribution limits per person are $380. The filing shows...
San Francisco 49ers spending big on Santa Clara mayoral race
Special interest groups are pouring money into Santa Clara’s mayoral race, with the San Francisco 49ers funding a political action committee that’s backing one candidate and opposing two others. Recent campaign finance filings show the PAC — Affordable Santa Clara Supporting Ferraris and Opposing Watanabe and Kertes for Mayor 2026, Sponsored by Forty Niners Football...
Judge hands San Jose win in license plate reader case
A judge has dismissed a lawsuit challenging San Jose’s network of license plate reader cameras, dealing a legal setback to opponents of a technology used to fight crime that has divided the city’s residents over fears of dragnet surveillance. In a ruling delivered Friday, Santa Clara County Superior Court Judge Jeffrey El-Hajj rejected arguments that...
San Jose tells food pantry it must shut down
A popular San Jose neighborhood food pantry is at risk of closing again after being hit with more zoning violations. Lighthouse Food Rescue & Distribution was cited by San Jose on Sept. 25 for hosting its food distribution on the sidewalk and for not following zoning rules, as a food distribution center is no longer...
Newsom signs Silicon Valley lawmakers’ bills to combat ICE
While federal immigration agents have stoked fear in Silicon Valley, California has passed a number of bills to keep them and those who run detention centers accountable. Gov. Gavin Newsom on Sept. 29 signed nearly two dozen bills, with some spearheaded by Silicon Valley lawmakers to protect immigrants from U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE)...
Santa Clara mayoral candidates share positions on key issues
Six candidates vying to become Santa Clara’s next mayor laid out competing visions for the city at an election forum that discussed council dysfunction, data center growth, budget stability, Great America and the San Francisco 49ers’ role in local politics. Candidates include former city maintenance worker and labor representative Armando “Gary” Ferraris, David Kertes, director...
VTA workers offered affordable housing built by transit agency
For VTA workers, living in Santa Clara County might become a reality in the future due to a unique piece of state legislation. Gov. Gavin Newsom recently signed into law a bill co-authored by Silicon Valley Assemblymembers Ash Kalra and Patrick Ahrens that gives VTA employees preference to buy or rent an affordable home built...