For years, a unique team of public defenders brought Santa Clara County national recognition for keeping poor people with mental health and drug issues from languishing in jail before their trials — something only the wealthy could afford. Now that team is on life support. Massive county budget shortfalls forced the Public Defender’s Office to...
The Biz Beat: Santana Row’s Fitoor offers flavorful tour of Indian cuisine
Chef Vaibhav Sawant has infused the menu at Santana Row’s Fitoor Indian Grill and Lounge with a splendid selection of inventive takes, all immaculately plated and irresistible. But the Double Butter Daal Makhani, perhaps the simplest entree in appearance, belies the time and effort that goes into making it. Served with flakey malabar paratha flatbread,...
Milpitas official hit snag with travel plans
The Milpitas City Council was set to approve expenses for three officials to attend a mayor’s conference and the presidential inauguration in Washington D.C., but things changed at the last minute. Mayor Carmen Montano and Councilmembers Hon Lien and Evelyn Chua had plans to travel from Jan. 16-20 to the United States Conference of Mayors in...
San Jose plummets in economic rankings
A recent report shows Silicon Valley’s economic growth faltered in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, though local experts say business has been recovering. The Milken Institute, a global think tank, has ranked the San Jose metropolitan area 108th out of 200 large metro areas nationally in its 2025 Best Performing Cities report. The ranking...
Cupertino city attorney resigns
One of Cupertino’s top officials is leaving the city. City Attorney Christopher Jensen submitted his resignation Thursday and said “it has been a pleasure to work with everyone at the city,” according to his resignation letter obtained by San José Spotlight. His last day is Feb. 22 after serving more than three and a half years...
West Valley city with highest fire risk seeks emergency manager
One Santa Clara County community with high fire risk is proactively taking steps to protect residents from disaster amid blazes in another part of the state. The Los Gatos Town Council unanimously voted to create a full-time emergency preparedness manager position Tuesday, alongside allocating $1 million from reserves to partially cover their salary and boost wildfire and...
Mountain View approves teacher housing ground lease, with option to buy land
Mountain View Whisman’s school board approved the ground lease for its staff housing development at a Thursday evening meeting, paving the way for local educators to start moving in as soon as next month, as well as signing off on an agreement that gives the district the chance to negotiate a deal to buy the property. At the...
San Jose’s projected budget deficit skyrockets
As San Jose crunches the numbers in its upcoming budget, a larger than expected shortfall looms on the horizon, along with another round of department cuts and potential layoffs. San Jose initially anticipated a budget shortfall of $39 million for the upcoming 2025-26 fiscal year, but it has since ballooned to $60 million, according to...
San Jose asks churches to lend a hand with housing
San Jose has a homelessness crisis — and the city is turning to religious institutions to lighten the load. Mayor Matt Mahan held a breakfast and two panel discussions Thursday to educate religious leaders on how church parking lots or empty spaces can be utilized for temporary or affordable housing. By the end of the event, nine...
Santa Clara County’s highest paid service nonprofit executives
Silicon Valley is one of the nation’s most expensive locales and home to dozens of nonprofit organizations, which need to keep up with costs of living. Last year, San José Spotlight examined the most recent Form 990 public tax filings for some of Silicon Valley’s biggest direct service nonprofits. After receiving feedback from readers, we...