Looking to boost local businesses, Mountain View is planning to host watch parties and other community events to draw visitors to the downtown area during the Super Bowl and World Cup this year. At a Dec. 16 meeting, the City Council unanimously approved the allocation of $295,000 to fund activities related to the mega-sporting events. With the money, the city plans...
San Jose lawmaker eyes state attorney general run
State Sen. Dave Cortese plans to run for California Attorney General if Rob Bonta decides to enter the governor’s race. It could boost the odds of the next top state prosecutor coming from Santa Clara County. Cortese represents District 15, which covers portions of San Jose, Morgan Hill, Gilroy and San Martin. He previously served...
San Jose Vietnam Town management shrugs at complaints
San Jose officials are cracking down on alleged mismanagement in Vietnam Town. But the plaza’s landlords aren’t budging. City code enforcers last month ordered the managers of Little Saigon’s iconic commercial center to address multiple building violations that vexed business owners. That included the removal of a haphazard dumpster barricade that kept cars from parking...
San Jose says RV parking site is unpermitted
A San Jose safe parking program on VTA property is in violation for operating without proper approvals. The city served VTA a notice after a Dec. 9 inspection found vehicles parked at the Santa Teresa station aren’t storing trash properly and that the site is operating without permits or approvals, among other violations. The site...
2026 marks another busy election year for San Jose
With five of San Jose’s 11 City Council seats up for grabs in 2026, the city is gearing up for another busy election year. As the looming contests begin to come into focus, San José Spotlight has asked several local political observers to discuss the races and election storylines they’ll be following most closely. They...
Palo Alto tries to rein in Zuckerberg’s Crescent Park expansion
The complaints from residents of Palo Alto’s Crescent Park neighborhood about the recent changes on their block began more than five years ago via letters to planning staff, phone calls to City Hall and reports filed on 3-1-1, an online portal that residents use to report everything from potholes and downed branches to zoning violations....
San Jose falling behind on key climate target
Halfway through the decade and the clock continues to tick down on San Jose’s ambitious climate target of reaching carbon neutrality by 2030. The road to success is looking steeper than ever. The City Council has formally acknowledged the city is not on track to hit the climate milestone. The admission came as part of...
New laws affecting Silicon Valley in 2026
California lawmakers approved dozens of new laws in 2025 addressing housing development, wildfire prevention, labor protections and more. Several of the measures, authored by Silicon Valley legislators, will take effect in 2026 and shape daily life across Santa Clara County and the state. Environment Plastic grocery bag ban Senate Bill 1053 closes a loophole in...
Santa Clara County supervisors show support for allcove funding
The Santa Clara County Board of Supervisors expressed dedication on Tuesday, Dec. 16, to partially funding allcove Palo Alto, a youth mental health center, despite facing approximately $1 billion in annual federal funding cuts countywide. Santa Clara County uses half of its $13 billion yearly budget on health and hospital services. Under President Donald Trump’s...
Santa Clara County committee says ranked choice voting saves money
Santa Clara County’s special assessor race this year has cost the county tens of millions of dollars. A county advisory board said ranked choice voting would have avoided that. Amid winter storms and holiday festivities, county voters were asked to cast their ballot by Dec. 30 — raising concerns about low voter turnout deciding the...