Nearly a third of San Jose police officers received complaints in 2021, concerning advocates who say the numbers show the wide swath of reform efforts happening in the city aren’t working. The number of complaints increased nearly 25% over 2020, when San Jose saw significant upheaval in response to the police killing of George Floyd,...
Santa Clara mayor highlights budget, city growth in annual speech
As Santa Clara faces ongoing economic struggles exacerbated by the pandemic, the city’s mayor on Saturday presented a brighter vision for the future. During Mayor Lisa Gillmor’s first in-person State of the City address, she highlighted her administration’s approach to worsening local issues, such as homelessness. The city this past year has helped fund programs like...
Homeless resident sues San Jose over sweep
A homeless person living at the sprawling camp near Columbus Park is suing San Jose over the monthlong sweep. Rudy Ortega filed a federal complaint this week against San Jose alleging city officials and the city’s partners breached their contracts and violated his constitutional rights—the city is sweeping where Ortega has been staying. The lawsuit,...
Downtown San Jose council candidates disagree on issues
San Jose’s downtown council seat is up for grabs, and the two candidates running for the District 3 spot couldn’t be more different. At a Friday debate hosted by the San Jose Downtown Association, candidates Omar Torres and Irene Smith shared their vision for the downtown core. Torres was the frontrunner after the June primary...
State complaint filed against San Jose mayoral candidate
San Jose Councilmember Matt Mahan’s mayoral campaign is at the center of a complaint filed Friday with the state labor commissioner, three days after San José Spotlight reported potential labor law violations. The freshman councilmember is being accused of misclassifying campaign workers as independent contractors. A San José Spotlight investigation earlier this week revealed that...
State funding rains on Silicon Valley cities
Three cities in Santa Clara County are receiving a windfall in state funding for a number of community projects. Assemblymember Alex Lee secured nearly $32 million for the five cities in his district—the largest allocation the area has seen, according to the elected official. San Jose received the lion’s share with $10 million to build...
Silicon Valley officials call for gun violence prevention in schools
Silicon Valley school districts and officials are pushing for new approaches to preventing gun violence, while experts question whether police on campuses add to school safety. At an event hosted as part of the House Democrats’ Gun Violence Prevention Day of Action, a number of officials including San Jose Mayor Sam Liccardo, Congressmember Zoe Lofgren and...
Tired of waiting, San Jose residents dig their own park
After two decades, one San Jose community is still waiting for a vacant lot covered in dried grass and weeds to be transformed into a promised park. A group of Alviso residents is working, without a permit, to improve a small portion of the plot of land, raising eyebrows in the community and at City Hall. Over...
San Jose seeks solutions to ongoing traffic fatalities
San Jose is bracing for a record breaking year in traffic-related deaths, and the city and local officials are looking for ways to reverse course. Despite years of work and millions of dollars in safety infrastructure, San Jose streets remain dangerous. Last year was a record-high for traffic-related deaths with 60 fatalities, and this year...
San Jose’s largest mobile home park gets new name, management
San Jose’s largest mobile home park is under new management and looks secure from development. Evans Management Services took over Silicon Valley Village Mobile Home Park, formerly Westwinds Mobile Home Park, on Sept. 1. The management company entered into a 10-year agreement with the park’s land owners, The Nicholson Family Partnership, and promises to retain...