While the San Jose City Council has approved new contract agreements with several public sector unions, a protracted labor dispute that has brought the city government dangerously close to a major worker strike will continue, after one bargaining group’s members rejected the deal. Councilmembers on Tuesday unanimously approved updated three-year contracts that will cover roughly...
Speed camera pilot program revs up in San Jose
After delays due to a lost federal grant, San Jose is rolling out a long-anticipated speed safety camera pilot program intended to save lives by convincing drivers to slow down. Testing and installation of a new network of 33 cameras is already underway, as the city prepares for a Dec. 14 launch. For the first...
San Jose tenants demand reform to fix code violations
For years, landlords in San Jose have skirted code violations as tenants live in deteriorating apartments. Now, residents with support from nonprofits Law Foundation of Silicon Valley, Latinos United for a New America (LUNA) and Regional Tenant Organizing Network are launching the “Healthy Homes” campaign to demand the San Jose City Council enact more robust measures...
Will San Jose protect 500+ acres around former IBM site?
San Jose Mayor Matt Mahan is pushing for permanent environmental protections for more than 500 acres of open space around a former tech research center being purchased by a data center developer. At an Oct. 16 Santa Teresa Foothills Neighborhood Association meeting, Mahan said he is working with District 10 Councilmember George Casey to protect...
San Jose police use of force cases continue to rise
Police use of force incidents and misconduct allegations continued to rise in San Jose last year, according to a recently released report from the Office of the Independent Police Auditor, the city’s police watchdog agency. The annual report includes statistics on police misconduct for 2025 as well as reform recommendations from Interim Police Auditor Dwight...
Decades-old urban garden in San Jose is being evicted
After 27 years, a San Jose urban garden is facing imminent eviction. Plant & Soul California, a beloved urban garden at 76 Race St., has been ordered to vacate its property following a real estate sale. The business is hoping residents, a foundation or angel investor will step up to help it make a counteroffer...
San Jose ranks No. 1 for U.S. cities with highest household bills
San Jose residents pay more for household bills than residents in any other major U.S. city, according to a new report — with annual costs reaching nearly $45,000 when housing is included. San Jose ranks No.1 among the 50 largest U.S. cities with households spending a median of $44,947 a year on 13 common household...
San Jose’s draft data center development standards fall short
San Jose is creating development standards for future data center projects, but residents and advocates said they don’t go far enough to protect their health and the environment. City officials presented the draft standards for the first time Thursday in front of a packed audience at City Hall. Dozens of residents spoke during the public comment...
San Jose self-checkout reform effort gets grocer pushback
A union-backed push to impose staffing requirements for grocery store self-checkout areas in San Jose faces fierce pushback from local retailers. Taking inspiration from a handful of Southern California cities that have already adopted such measures — including Costa Mesa, Long Beach and Santa Ana — councilmembers have asked staff to draw up regulations for...
San Jose food pantry faces opposition from neighbors
When Lighthouse Food Rescue & Distribution first started handing out groceries in San Jose’s Northside neighborhood in 2020, Robert Wright welcomed it and its mission to feed disadvantaged residents. He pitched a Lighthouse yard sign in front of his house near the food pantry, which sits at the corner of East Julian and North 17th streets in the...