Six candidates are competing to become mayor of San Jose—a coveted political position in Silicon Valley that comes with a host of complex problems. Mayor Sam Liccardo, who was elected in 2014, terms out at the end of the year, and a gaggle of councilmembers and political unknowns are fighting to replace him and lead the...
San Jose council review: Google plans microgrid, homeless to have say on housing
A homeless advocate on the housing commission. Slicing off funds for the unhoused. Digital literacy grants and plans for a Google microgrid had San Jose councilmembers talking on Tuesday. Here’s a breakdown of the April 19 City Council meeting: Housing commission expands The City Council unanimously approved adding another seat to its 13-member Housing and...
San Jose workers fleeing city, others rally for higher wages
Hundreds of job vacancies, low wages and unmanageable workloads have city workers frustrated and demanding changes. More than 80 city employees gathered in front of San Jose City Hall early Tuesday as union leaders called for a pay increase for more than 3,000 workers. The city has a workforce of roughly 6,200 employees. The coalition of unions, made...
San Jose still lacks structure to collect gun fees
San Jose has an ambitious plan to curb gun violence by mandating gun owners pay an annual fee. But nothing is in place, and the clock to implementation is quickly winding down. Earlier this year, San Jose became the first city in the nation to require residents who own firearms to pay an annual $25 per...
Valley Water breaks ground on North San Jose flood control project
A new project to reduce flood risks from rising sea levels is underway in North San Jose’s Alviso neighborhood. On Thursday, South Bay officials broke ground on the first phase of the South San Francisco Bay Shoreline Project—a local, state and federal partnership to provide tidal flood protection in the area, as well as restore...
San Jose council review: Measure E priorities, water ballot measure opposition
San Jose officials discussed a new program to help residents with overdue utility bills at Tuesday’s City Council meeting, as well as opposition to a water district ballot measure and looking at better ways to use public dollars to combat homelessness. Here are the highlights from the council’s April 12 meeting: Measure E funding priorities San Jose officials...
San Jose mayor’s Twitter hack raises broader security concerns
Cybersecurity experts are urging public officials to beef up their online security in the wake of San Jose mayor’s Twitter account getting hacked. An unknown person or group briefly hijacked Mayor Sam Liccardo’s Twitter account last week and used the account to promote non-fungible tokens or NFTs—a digital product similar to cryptocurrency. Liccardo’s office referred...
UPDATE: San Jose kills plan for ranked-choice voting
Ranked-choice voting in San Jose is dead and a proposal to expand the number of council districts is delayed. The two ideas were the most substantial recommendations made by the citizen-led Charter Review Commission that spent about a year studying how to make San Jose’s governing system more equitable, accessible and effective. The City Council...
San Jose wants equity in new transportation services
Scooters. Drones. Shuttles. A fleet of transportation ideas is spreading in San Jose, and the city wants to make sure everyone benefits. The City Council approved an action plan last week for emerging mobility services—shorthand for new transportation technologies and programs proliferating in San Jose. The services range from bike share programs to autonomous delivery vehicles....
State law offers little help to struggling San Jose renters
California has extended eviction protections for millions of residents, but advocates fear it’s too little and too late to help thousands of San Jose tenants on the brink of losing their homes. Lt. Governor Eleni Kounalakis, acting in Gov. Gavin Newsom’s absence, recently signed legislation to temporarily protect Californians from eviction for past due rent if...