After more than a decade of planning, Santa Clara County is poised to go back to the drawing board to redesign its new jail, while criminal justice advocates call to abandon the plan altogether. The Board of Supervisors voted 3-1-1 Tuesday to pump the brakes on a plan to construct a new $689 million jail,...
Where do San Jose’s mayoral candidates stand on the environment?
San Jose’s mayoral candidates might agree on the urgent need to address climate change, but they have different ideas of how to tackle the challenge. San Jose Councilmember Matt Mahan and Santa Clara County Supervisor Cindy Chavez, who are both vying to replace outgoing Mayor Sam Liccardo, have debated on a number of issues including homelessness, affordable housing,...
Santa Clara wants residents to ditch their cars
Santa Clara residents will soon be able to ditch the car for short distances and zoom around the city on electric scooters and bikes. Micromobility companies Bird and VEO are launching hundreds of electric scooters and bikes in Santa Clara. Bird received an operating permit on Aug. 8 and will start launching a total of 800 electric...
Santa Clara County dam faces growing opposition
The opposition against the Pacheco Dam expansion in South County is growing—and so is the list of plaintiffs suing Valley Water over the project. This week, the environmental advocacy group Sierra Club and the Amah Mutsun Tribal Band have added their names to the Stop Pacheco Dam Coalition, which is suing Valley Water. The lawsuit, first...
Amid shortage, San Jose OKs major raise for veterinarians
San Jose is increasing the salary range for veterinarians by nearly 47% this year, hoping to fill monthslong vacancies for two roles in its backlogged animal shelter. While a full-time vet hired in the city before February would earn roughly $95,000 to $115,000 annually in base salary, the San Jose City Council has since sweetened the...
Vietnamese voters could sway San Jose mayor’s race
The two candidates running for San Jose mayor are clamoring for support from the city’s vast Vietnamese population—a longtime formidable voting bloc. San Jose boasts the largest Vietnamese American population in the nation. With nearly 180,000 residents, the community accounts for roughly 10% of the city’s electorate. General elections in San Jose typically see 50% voter...
San Jose gets millions for prefab homeless housing
With an influx of $50 million from the state, San Jose is gearing up to build more than 200 prefabricated units in the southern part of the city. A new housing site on Branham Lane and Monterey Road will be a the first of its kind in the state—a three-story prefab modular project with 204...
Election 2022: San Jose school board races taking shape
San Jose voters who live in some of the largest school districts will be voting for trustees with various levels of experience come November. These school board candidates are addressing a host of issues, including affordable teacher housing, police officers on school campuses and education disparity. Their oversight will be needed in how millions in funding is...
Judge orders San Jose, mayor to list withheld public records
San Jose will provide a basic list of all the records it’s withholding to San José Spotlight—months after city officials refused to say how many documents have not been released under the public records act. San José Spotlight and the First Amendment Coalition sued the city and Mayor Sam Liccardo for improperly withholding emails in February....
Final offer: 49ers tell Santa Clara officials to take it or leave it
The San Francisco 49ers are upping the ante to settle a lawsuit that’s costing Santa Clara residents millions of dollars. According to a letter obtained by San José Spotlight on Wednesday, the NFL team is now offering the city a settlement package officials say is worth $13 million when factoring in the money saved on...