As the county’s shelter-in-place order shuttering the local economy puts more residents at risk of losing their homes, San Jose leaders voted unanimously to extend the city’s eviction to Oct. 17. The moratorium now coincides with the local emergency declaration, also set to end Oct. 17. Still, the debate about how to balance challenges faced...
UPDATE: San Jose advances high-tech ideas to connect transportation hubs
Driverless vehicles zooming through underground tunnels and electric mini trains could be in San Jose’s future. City leaders voted unanimously on Aug. 25 to advance projects connecting Diridon Station, Stevens Creek Corridor and the Mineta San Jose International Airport. Councilmember Maya Esparza was absent. Many of the proposals — including one from Elon Musk’s The...
UPDATE: Santa Clara County supervisors run into hurdle over reforms at Sheriff’s Office
After months of review of potential law enforcement reforms at the Sheriff’s Office, Santa Clara County Supervisors faced the reality that their hands are somewhat tied. The sheriff is an independently elected official and supervisors have limited authority over that office, said Michael Genacco, a law enforcement expert and project manager for the Office of...
Santa Clara County employees on verge of getting Juneteenth holiday
Juneteenth is one step closer to becoming a holiday for Santa Clara County workers but not before the Board of Supervisors got an earful. During the course of budget talks addressing a multi-million dollar shortfall Aug. 21, supervisors entertained the idea of making Juneteenth a paid holiday. The sticking point, however, was that it would...
San Jose hotels lower rates for fire evacuees
Residents near the outskirts of San Jose are advised to pack their bags as wildfires sparked by last weekend’s lightning storm continue to surround the valley. But while evacuation orders are still east of city limits, San Jose Mayor Sam Liccardo announced Aug. 23 more than a dozen local hotels are offering discounted “San Jose...
Former San Jose city attorney Rick Doyle dies at 65
After celebrating a recent retirement and two decades of service to San Jose, former City Attorney Rick Doyle died Aug. 23 at age 65 from cancer. “San Jose has lost one of its greatest champions in Rick Doyle,” Mayor Sam Liccardo said. “Rick made a career out of fighting for our city, but through the...
Jobs, social services take hit in Santa Clara County budget
The ax is falling on jobs and social services in Santa Clara County’s next fiscal budget. Struggling to manage a massive deficit, supervisors debated for nearly six hours Aug. 21 before approving the budget 4-1, with Board President Cindy Chavez casting the sole dissenting vote. The budget gap largely stems from decreased revenues from both...
Silicon Valley unemployment sees slight decline in July
People are starting to go back to work in Santa Clara County but unemployment is still alarmingly high. After unemployment reached a historic peak of 11.6% in April, it declined to 9.3% in July, according to a study released Aug. 21 by Joint Venture Silicon Valley, a group that provides analysis on the Silicon Valley...
San Jose mayor leaps into state’s ride-share fight
When Uber and Lyft threatened this week to stop operating in California over a state law to reclassify gig workers, San Jose Mayor Sam Liccardo joined ranks with a Republican counterpart to take a stand. Liccardo said he entered the debate because departure of the ride-sharing giants in the state would hurt workers even more during the present...
Voting in Santa Clara County: What you need to know
With less than three months until Election Day, voters are facing confusion and misinformation about how to vote in the presidential election during the COVID-19 pandemic. In California, all voters will receive a ballot in the mail for the Nov. 3 election. In Santa Clara County, voters should expect to see their ballots with pre-paid...