Over the last several years San Jose has watched its traffic fatalities in the city increase exponentially. Now city officials are banking on a state bill to move those numbers downward. In an effort to lower fatalities, city leaders are supporting Assembly Bill 645, which would establish a pilot program for speed safety cameras in San...
San Jose official’s stay in homeless shelter exposes reality
When San Jose Councilmember Omar Torres was challenged to sleep in a homeless shelter, he responded by staying at two different sites. Former homeless resident Sketch Oppie invited the entire city council to experience staying in a shelter to help them understand why allocating dollars to affordable housing is the better long-term solution to homelessness. While other councilmembers...
The first six months: San Jose Councilmember Domingo Candelas
Editor’s Note: This article is part of a San José Spotlight series examining the newest San Jose councilmembers and their first six months in office. District 8 San Jose Councilmember Domingo Candelas hasn’t moved far from his Evergreen childhood home. Growing up in the Brigadoon neighborhood in southeast San Jose, the freshman councilmember attended Evergreen Valley High School...
Affordable housing to be built by San Jose transit center
VTA is beginning work on a new housing development to boost the Santa Clara County transit agency’s revenue. This time it will be 100% affordable housing. The agency will use an empty lot next to the Berryessa Transit Center in San Jose to build 195 affordable apartments after signing a contract with Affirmed Housing Group last...
San Jose cannabis tax revenue takes a hit
San Jose cannabis tax revenue is poised to drop by millions this year, as black market competition and delivery services chip away at the willingness of consumers to pay more. According to projections in the city’s recently approved budget, recreational cannabis sold at one of San Jose’s 16 licensed dispensaries is set to generate about $15.8 million...
MLB to San Jose mayors: No team anytime soon
San Jose has been rebuffed by Major League Baseball once again. Commissioner Rob Manfred issued a terse response this week to Mayor Matt Mahan and four former San Jose mayors who called on MLB to remove the San Francisco Giants’ South Bay territorial rights to clear a path for a possible expansion team in the city....
15 inspiring leaders in Silicon Valley’s LGBTQ community
A poll in 2015 found San Jose had one of the smallest LGBTQ+ populations of any metropolitan area. And in 2013, a county health assessment reported about 4% of Santa Clara County’s population was estimated to be a part of the LGBTQ community. Across the country, LGBTQ people have struggled to gain recognition in leadership positions...
Shadow poll tests new sales tax in Santa Clara County
Santa Clara County voters might find a new sales tax measure on the 2024 ballot—and there’s an opinion poll swirling through the community to gauge the climate. Texts and emails went out last week asking residents whether they would vote for a half-cent sales tax increase on the next ballot. The poll was sent by text through Opinion Research U.S....
San Jose chooses new interim police watchdog
San Jose leaders have chosen a new acting independent police auditor. The San Jose City Council unanimously voted in closed session Tuesday to appoint Karyn Sinunu-Towery, a former 30-year Santa Clara County prosecutor, to helm the oversight role while a search for the next permanent auditor is underway. The city announced earlier this month that...
School run by San Jose mayor’s wife scores city grant
A San Jose private school run by none other than the mayor’s wife is receiving a six-figure grant. The $862,000 city grant is raising questions about favoritism due to the school’s close connections to the former mayor and other city hires, with some officials questioning whether taxpayer dollars should be awarded to a private religious...