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Santa Clara County board to seat a woman majority next year

Santa Clara County is closer to retaking its storied but challenged title as “Feminist Capital of the World.” After November’s general election, women will outnumber men 4-1 on the county’s powerful Board of Supervisors for the first time. While policy decisions don’t always boil down to gender, current and prospective supervisors say a supermajority of...

San Jose Water proposed increases rankle residents

Roughly 1 million people in and around San Jose are facing significant increases to their water bills starting next year, if state regulators approve a local company’s plan. San Jose Water Company, a for-profit water retailer, is asking the California Public Utilities Commission to allow an increase of the company’s average water rates by about 22% over three...

San Jose’s new airport director lands Monday

San Jose’s airport is getting a new director with three decades of experience, including gigs at major hubs in Denver and Austin. Starting Monday, Mukesh “Mookie” Patel will take over as the city’s director of aviation at San Jose Mineta International Airport, the city announced this week. “Our next airport director has big shoes to fill,”...

San Jose firefighters demand protection following break-in

Two recent incidents have San Jose firefighters questioning the dangers of their job beyond the blazes they battle. On March 2, someone broke into San Jose Fire Department’s Station 8 on E. Santa Clara Street in downtown and stole equipment and personal property. A few days later, a firefighter responding to a call at Santa...

Silicon Valley official censured for conduct and removing documents

Valley Water leaders have censured one of their colleagues and stripped her of some responsibilities for taking confidential documents from district offices and allegedly making discriminatory and harassing remarks against district officials and workers. In a nearly five-hour special meeting Thursday, the water district board of directors voted 6-1 to censure Director Rebecca Eisenberg, with...

San Jose mayor’s budget plan saddled with a shortfall

A looming multimillion-dollar deficit will force San Jose to make cuts in the next budget. Instead of detailing what will be lost, Mayor Matt Mahan has outlined his nonnegotiables. His March budget message prioritizes addressing street homelessness and blight, increasing public safety and making San Jose easier to invest in. Those may seem like the same...