Nearly a year after telling San José Spotlight he’s eyeing a run for mayor, downtown Councilmember Raul Peralez on Wednesday publicly kicked off his campaign. And he’s already staked out his campaign platform: Affordable housing, equity and boosting disadvantaged communities and local businesses. “I didn’t grow up in a wealthy or a politically connected family,...
South Bay leaders quit city committee, decry lack of focus on police reform
Seven prominent leaders are quitting a San Jose public safety committee after claiming it was a sham and that it failed to address police reform as promised. The San Jose Reimagined Safety Advisory Committee, which includes 46 leaders across Silicon Valley, formed in September in the wake of the murder of George Floyd. The goal,...
San Jose business leader mulls ending political endorsements, new name
The Silicon Valley Organization’s newly-hired chief executive officer says the powerful business lobby should no longer endorse candidates. In the latest episode of The Podlight, CEO Derrick Seaver told host Bob Staedler that he’s looking to ending the organization’s tradition of political endorsements and changing SVO’s name back to a variation of its previous name,...
San Jose panel discussing ‘strong mayor’ wants more money
A San Jose panel tasked with deciding how much power the city’s mayor will wield is getting more than $100,000 to do its work. The City Council on Tuesday unanimously approved more funds for the Charter Review Commission, along with a bigger push for more community outreach. “I don’t know if we’ve made leaps and...
Silicon Valley libraries slowly reopening. Here’s what you need to know
For patrons and staff alike, the reopening of the Santa Clara City Library feels like Christmas morning. The public institution recently expanded access to indoor services alongside the Santa Clara County Library District and some branches of the San Jose Public Library. At all three branches of the Santa Clara City Library—Central Park, Mission Branch and Northside Branch—patrons...
San Jose group debates reimagining community policing
The conviction of former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin brings an end to one chapter in the ongoing battle for racial equity. But San Jose’s new community safety advisory group sparked by George Floyd’s murder just began convening. Three meetings in and discussions over police and community relations already prove to be so divisive among...
San Jose mulls major changes to campaign finance law
San Jose lawmakers are looking to overhaul the city’s campaign finance regulations in hopes of avoiding more ugly political contests in 2022. Councilmember Sergio Jimenez introduced a proposal, updated from an earlier version discussed in November, that includes a requirement that campaign committees file mailers with the city clerk, an online repository for all campaign...
Johnson & Johnson vaccine back on in Santa Clara County
Bay Area health leaders, including Santa Clara County’s top health official, are lifting the pause on the Johnson & Johnson vaccine. The county halted administration of the one-shot vaccine after reports of extremely rare cases of blood clotting. The pause came a month after Santa Clara County received its first doses of the highly-anticipated shot...
Do San Jose’s wage theft policies lack teeth?
San Jose has a long history of wage theft on construction projects throughout the city—what are officials doing to prevent it? A recent San José Spotlight investigation revealed numerous allegations of wage theft and unsafe working conditions on a public works project built last year intended to provide emergency shelter to the city’s homeless. Days after...
Will South Bay keep expanded homeless housing post-pandemic?
Santa Clara County made strides in housing its unsheltered residents during the pandemic. Now county officials want to make sure it doesn’t backslide as the region prepares for a post-pandemic future. With the help of emergency federal and state funding, the county’s Office of Supportive Housing provided shelter to more than 5,500 households over the last year. COVID-19...