Last year, 161 homeless people died on Santa Clara County streets but some immediate solutions might be on the horizon. The Santa Clara County Board of Supervisors on Tuesday unanimously approved creating a new task force to help alleviate homelessness countywide by focusing on providing shelter and transitional housing options. In 2015, a similar task...
Santa Clara approves new affordable housing complex, higher city manager pay
During Santa Clara Councilmember Patricia Mahan’s final City Council meeting Tuesday, lawmakers unanimously approved a new 65-unit affordable housing project, but delayed discussing development near the upcoming BART extension until the end of the week. Mahan last week resigned her position due to medical issues, effective Feb. 1. The longtime lawmaker attended the first half...
San Jose lawmakers vote against supporting Measure B funds reallocation
Silicon Valley climate activists are urging the VTA to declare a climate emergency and reallocate funds from a 2016 half-cent sales tax to public transit projects in an effort to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. But the San Jose City Council on Tuesday, which has five directors on the VTA board that includes Mayor Sam Liccardo...
Major changes coming to San Jose’s upcoming elections
WASHINGTON. D.C. — Preparations are underway across California for the upcoming March 3 primary election, which for the first time since 2008, will allow California voters to participate near the beginning of the presidential primary process. Plus, a new law called the California Voter’s Choice Act takes effect in Santa Clara County this year. That...
San Jose: Senate candidates launch attacks over campaign funding
With March primary ballots hitting mailboxes in two weeks, the race for an open state Senate seat in District 15 is heating up, with candidates lambasting their opponents over campaign finances. Former Federal Elections Committee Chair Ann Ravel this week called for fellow candidate Nora Campos to return campaign funds she received from Big Oil. In a...
Santa Clara Councilmember Patricia Mahan resigns due to medical issues
Santa Clara Councilmember Patricia Mahan has resigned from her elected position, effective Feb. 1, due to “serious medical issues,” according to Santa Clara officials. Mahan submitted her resignation Wednesday, and the Santa Clara City Council is expected to declare her seat as the city’s District 5 representative vacant on Feb. 11. Mahan has battled cancer...
Silicon Valley candidates seeking local, state offices face off
A slew of Silicon Valley candidates vying for seats on the San Jose City Council and state Senate shared their views on housing, homelessness and public safety at a forum held last week at the Santa Teresa Public Library. The candidates were each allotted six minutes to speak during the forum, hosted by Santa Teresa...
National debate over universal health care spills into San Jose
Democrats — especially on the presidential debate stage — have been throwing around the term “Medicare for All” for quite some time, confusing the American electorate on the different policy proposals the umbrella phrase could be referring to. To set the record straight, a panel of elected leaders and policy experts Tuesday hosted a discussion...
Santa Clara officials consider phased approach for big ‘Civic Center’ revamp
Santa Clara officials will likely take a phased approach to implement a $373 million to $437 million revamp of the Civic Center campus, where City Hall is located, at 1500 Warburton Ave. Most of the municipal buildings on the 19-acre campus were built in the 1960s and today sit filled to the brim with employees....
Thousands march in downtown San Jose for Women’s March 2020
“People united, will never be divided!” “Show me what democracy looks like!” “This is what democracy looks like!” “What do we want?” “Justice!” “When do we want it?” “Now!” The chants and cheers at the 4th annual San Jose Women’s March were deafening. Thousands poured onto the streets from City Hall to Arena Green in...