The amount of funds flooding into San Jose’s mayoral race is breaking the record books—with almost $2.4 million spent in special interest money to date. With a little over a month before San Jose elects its next mayor, Santa Clara County Supervisor Cindy Chavez and San Jose Councilmember Matt Mahan are locked in a hotly contested—and...
San Jose mayoral candidate admits employee classification error
San Jose Councilmember Matt Mahan’s mayoral campaign is correcting the misclassifying of some of its employees, weeks after facing a complaint filed with the state labor commissioner. The changes follow San José Spotlight’s reporting on how Mahan’s campaign listed at least 18 workers as consultants in campaign finance disclosure forms. More than half are high schoolers, in...
San Jose sign thieves caught in the act
Election signs are disappearing across San Jose, and local candidates are asking would-be thieves to keep off the grass. It’s part of an ongoing trend that candidates say disrupts the democratic process. San Jose Councilmember Matt Mahan, who is running for mayor, said hundreds of campaign signs have disappeared in the span of a few weeks...
UPDATE: Hundreds of affordable homes planned in San Jose
Following through on a policy priority five years in the making, San Jose is partnering with developers to build affordable housing on several city-owned plots of land, including the first housing project stemming from Google’s major downtown development. The San Jose City Council voted unanimously to approve exclusive negotiating agreements with four different developers Tuesday,...
Lawsuit stalls San Jose food bank development
Plans for a nonprofit food bank’s massive new headquarters in Alviso are on hold after a resident filed a lawsuit against San Jose over its approval of the development. In a lawsuit filed Monday in Santa Clara County Superior Court, Alviso resident Mark Espinoza claims the environmental review for the 250,000 square foot Second Harvest of...
How one new San Jose official is preparing to take office
While several San Jose City Council candidates are in the final stretch of campaigning, Rosemary Kamei is already setting up her office. District 1 Councilmember-elect Kamei, a Santa Clara County Board of Education trustee, won the seat outright in the June primary election. She spent the summer with her sisters and 90-year-old mother, but now she’s rolling up her sleeves...
What’s next for outgoing San Jose mayor, councilmembers?
After eight years on the 18th floor of City Hall, four San Jose elected officials are on their way out. Some are planning their next political moves, while others prepare to go back to their old non-political jobs. San Jose is weeks away from electing a new mayor and at least two new councilmembers during the November election. District...
Fourteen people died on San Jose streets — in one month
Santa Clara County might see another record breaking year in homeless deaths, with 14 people dying on the streets in September alone. As of Friday, 167 unhoused people have died in Santa Clara County this year—roughly 73% of them died in San Jose, according to county’s data. The number is following an alarming trend the region...
San Jose invests big in public art
San Jose artists have the opportunity to receive thousands of dollars to bring their creative visions to fruition. It’s the latest effort from City Hall to bring vibrant public art into the community. The Creative Ambassadors program gives four San Jose-based artists $9,500 each to create a community art project that invites participation from residents...
Full transcript: San Jose Mayor Sam Liccardo’s 2022 State of the City
Editor’s Note: This is a transcript of Mayor Sam Liccardo’s full 2022 State of the City address. Friends, good evening. In my tenure, I’ve had the blessing of serving a wonderful community, beside an incredible team of people. I’ve also been blessed by a wife who has been my confidante, honest critic, sage advisor, and sympathetic ear. Thank...