The San Jose City Council has punted on a proposal that could have introduced ranked choice voting to certain city elections. Councilmembers on Tuesday voted 8-2 — with Vice Mayor Pam Foley and District 10 Councilmember George Casey voting against, and District 5 Councilmember Peter Ortiz absent — to advance a ballot measure that would...
Santa Clara County balances budget without severe service cuts
Santa Clara County has closed its multimillion-dollar deficit while preserving essential services amid one of its most challenging budget years in decades. The Board of Supervisors on June 18 unanimously voted to adopt the $14.7 billion budget for the upcoming fiscal year beginning July 1. Despite previously facing a $787 million deficit, the county’s budget...
A San Jose artist who chose to serve artists
When Erin Salazar walked into a Knight Foundation networking event back in 2012 wearing paint-covered work coveralls, she wasn’t expecting to launch a nonprofit. At the time, Salazar was a working artist in San Jose with a simple idea: The city had plenty of talented artists and plenty of blank walls. What it lacked were...
Parcel tax helps preserve Santa Clara County open space
A group that works to preserve open space in Santa Clara County will receive millions of dollars every year toward its efforts, following the approval of a parcel tax. Measure D will generate $17 million annually through a two-cent-per-square-foot of building area parcel tax to fund creek and water restoration, land stewardship, expansion of open...
Mountain View to launch Makers Market this fall
Mountain View’s downtown pedestrian mall is set to become a testing ground for local artists, makers and small businesses this fall, as the city prepares to launch a new Makers Market on Castro Street. The pilot series will bring vendors to the 300 block of Castro Street on four Fridays: Sept. 18, Oct. 23, Nov. 20 and...
Santa Clara County offers residents tips to avoid scammers
With scams targeting the pocketbooks of older adults on the rise, Santa Clara County is working to educate its residents on how to recognize and avoid financial fraud. The county’s Department of Aging and Adult Services teamed up with AARP for a June 16 “scam jam” forum, where fraud prevention experts talked about current scams...
San Jose’s budget lands with wins, losses, work to do
Budget season in San Jose is over, but the months-long negotiations have set the stage for new political fights that are only beginning to take shape. The City Council on Tuesday put the final seal of approval on the $5.5 billion budget that will see San Jose through the upcoming fiscal year beginning July 1. Facing down a...
Community-focused San Jose center serves older adults
As Santa Clara County’s population ages, health and community service nonprofits are growing to meet their needs. On Lok, a community-focused care provider for older adults, held a Wednesday grand opening for its 20,348-square-foot PACE center in South San Jose. The Program of All-Inclusive Care for the Elderly (PACE) expands access to comprehensive care, providing...
Cupertino extends contract with Sheriff’s Office
Cupertino officials are buying themselves more time in a growing dispute over the cost of law enforcement. The City Council on Tuesday voted unanimously to extend its contract with the Santa Clara County Sheriff’s Office through Sept. 30, allowing negotiations to continue while an independent review examines whether the county’s proposed cost increase complies with state...
Mountain View looks to adopt budget amid economic uncertainty
The Mountain View City Council is expected to adopt a balanced budget next week for the 2026-27 fiscal year, despite flattening revenues and rising costs, a trend that has defined the city’s financial outlook for the past couple years. The city is planning to close out the current 2025-26 fiscal year with a roughly $1.9 million...