San Jose

San Jose

A San Jose commission will decide on strong mayor, moving mayoral elections

After a month-long debate over a proposed ‘strong mayor’ measure and outrage over lack of community involvement in the decision, San Jose leaders unanimously approved putting decisions about the city’s future into the hands of community members. The Charter Revision Commission, created Tuesday, will consist of residents appointed by Mayor Sam Liccardo and the City Council....

San Jose council candidate was on prescription drugs before deadly crash

San Jose City Council candidate Jenny Higgins Bradanini tested positive for benzodiazepine, a class of medication sometimes prescribed for anxiety and insomnia, after she killed a pedestrian with her SUV in Los Gatos last year, according to documents charging her with a felony. Patients who are prescribed tranquilizers are warned not to drive because the...

A first look: Silicon Valley landmark designs revealed

After more than a year of anticipation, the wait is over. The new designs for San Jose’s landmark icon have been revealed — and now the public gets to weigh in. The Urban Confluence Silicon Valley project (UCSV), hosted by the nonprofit San José Light Tower Corporation, launched a worldwide contest in July of last year...

Watch: A live chat with San Jose Congresswoman Zoe Lofgren

San Jose Rep. Zoe Lofgren earlier this month joined San José Spotlight for an exclusive Q&A webinar as part of the San Jose Speaks series. The congresswoman fielded questions from the community about a variety of topics including police reform, the coronavirus pandemic and the upcoming presidential election. COVID-19 When it comes to decisions related...

San Jose Mayor Sam Liccardo drops his ‘strong mayor’ plan

After a month of pressure and community outcry, Mayor Sam Liccardo on Monday quietly dropped his push for a ‘strong mayor’ initiative that would extend his term by two years and increase his powers. In a memo released Monday —  a day before the San Jose City Council was set to vote on the controversial...

‘Enough is enough’: Activists reimagine public safety in San Jose

Sunday was not a day of rest in downtown San Jose. Instead, a faith-based coalition of South Bay community leaders lept into action, recounting personal histories with law enforcement and reimagining public safety in San Jose. Dozens of attendees and thousands of online viewers listened to speeches from Santa Clara County organizations, including the NAACP, CAIR,...

How redistricting could shift political power for San Jose neighborhoods

As COVID-19 and the Black Lives Matter movement have cast renewed focus on racial inequities plaguing San Jose for years, some say redistricting has the potential to improve or compromise representation for the city’s most disenfranchised residents. After the completion of the U.S. Census every decade, the City Council must appoint a redistricting committee to redraw the...

San Jose takes pride in its diversity but has no in-house translators

With more than half the households in San Jose speaking a language other than English, the nation’s 10th largest city doesn’t have full-time staff dedicated to translation and interpretation at City Hall. Without full-time translators on staff, San Jose Councilmember Magdalena Carrasco, whose constituents include many monolingual Spanish speakers, has come to expect her own...