In an effort to address drought and increase local groundwater supply, the Santa Clara Valley Water District is fast-tracking a plan to purify and recycle more water in San Jose. But city elected leaders — concerned for the environment and limited staff resources due to COVID-19 — are pumping the brakes and want more time...
San Jose Speaks: A conversation with Santa Clara County Assessor Larry Stone
San José Spotlight earlier this month welcomed Santa Clara County Assessor Larry Stone in its latest San Jose Speaks series, which features interactive conversations with South Bay leaders, influencers and decision makers. Stone discussed Proposition 19, which was approved by voters in 2020 and significantly complicated the rules for transferring property tax assessments. The March...
40 years of fighting for LGBTQ rights in San Jose
It may be hard to imagine now, but there was a time when a majority of San Jose and Santa Clara County voters rejected an opportunity to ban discrimination against the LGBTQ people among them. “’Gay people are so disgusting they deserve no rights, and we don’t even want them in town.’ That was the...
San José Spotlight wins SPJ’s James Madison Freedom of Information Award
San José Spotlight has received the Northern California Chapter’s Society of Professional Journalists’ prestigious James Madison Freedom of Information Award for its “regular and inventive use” of public records in covering local government in Santa Clara County. “This honor is a testament to the great work produced by our talented team of journalists,” said Ramona...
Universal basic income in San Jose? Some say it could be a game changer
Could universal basic income work in San Jose? Cities across California have tried guaranteed income programs to bolster economic security, supplement social safety nets and achieve greater racial and gender equity. Some politicians and researchers believe the idea might be the perfect antidote to problems like homelessness and financial insecurity, while others worry about how such...
Can Santa Clara County keep $1 billion housing promise?
An audit released this week suggests Santa Clara County might not be able to make good on using $1 billion in public funds to build the homes promised when voters passed Measure A in 2016. The premise of Measure A has always been that the nearly $1 billion bond would be used within a decade...
San Jose leaders push back against bill to change VTA governance
San Jose councilmembers are pushing against a new state bill that would keep them off the county’s transit board. AB 1091, introduced by Assemblymember Marc Berman, would prohibit elected officials from serving on the Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority (VTA) board. Instead, cities can appoint expert residents to represent their communities. San Jose would also...
A year of despair and resiliency: How COVID-19 changed San Jose
For many residents in the South Bay, March 17, 2020 marked the beginning of a year like no other. One year ago, Santa Clara County and five of its neighbors became the first in the nation to impose a shelter in place order, as the COVID-19 virus silently engulfed the globe. There were 258 confirmed...
Santa Clara County could move to orange tier next week; vaccine eligibility expands
Santa Clara County’s COVID-19 cases are still on a downward trend, meaning the county could move to the state’s orange tier next Wednesday. Santa Clara County Public Health Officer Dr. Sara Cody confirmed at the county’s Health and Hospital Commission meeting Wednesday that if the county continues to see decreasing COVID cases and hospitalizations through...
Battle over billboards: San Jose faces lawsuit, pushback on proposed changes
San Jose faces allegations that its billboard ban—and proposed changes to its billboard policy—violate property owners’ constitutional rights. In a lawsuit, a group called Citizens for Free Speech and Equal Justice claims San Jose violates residents’ free-speech and equal protection rights through a decades-old ban on new billboards. The suit comes just as the City...