Santa Clara County’s largest school district could close up to nine elementary schools due to declining enrollment — a game changer for the district as it redefines its future. The San Jose Teachers Association is urging San Jose Unified School District to consider restructuring the system due to enrollment and equity issues. There are 41...
UPDATE: San Jose council puts hotel tax measure on June ballot
Facing yet another major budget shortfall, San Jose leaders have greenlit a proposal to hike taxes on hotel stays as a means of boosting revenue for city services. The City Council voted unanimously Tuesday in favor of placing a measure to increase the city’s hotel tax, also known as a transient occupancy tax, on the...
San Jose homeless relocation program serves few
A pilot program to reconnect homeless people in San Jose to family outside the city had minimal effect in the past year. Homeward Bound, proposed by Mayor Matt Mahan as another option to help get homeless people off the streets, reconnected 42 individuals to their support systems since it began last February. Out of the...
San Jose faces tough choices to balance budget shortfall
San Jose leaders are warning of “tough” financial decisions and “hard choices” as this year’s budget season officially gets underway. The months-long process kicked off Thursday with a special study session considering how to balance a projected deficit of up to $65 million. While the city managed to balance last year’s shortfall without laying off any workers,...
The Biz Beat: 2nd STREET brings ‘treasure hunt’ to San Jose
On Jan. 30, in-the-know connoisseurs of vintage fashion lined up in droves for the grand opening of 2nd STREET at the Strawberry Park Shopping Center in San Jose. The store, which specializes in a wide selection of used clothing, shoes and accessories, is the international brand’s 54th location in the U.S. “According to the higher-ups...
San Jose restaurant workers became collateral damage
Jtown Pizza owner Jordan Trigg touched off a firestorm against San Jose’s historic building protections — and a push for reform — after calling out preservationist red tape leading to the closure of his restaurant last year. His former employees say that’s not the whole story. In statements to the media, Trigg said he was...
San Jose loosens rules for local card rooms
San Jose is easing restrictions on its local gambling industry as part of a months-long effort to lighten the regulatory burden placed on the city’s two card houses. The City Council approved a package of five rule changes Tuesday in a unanimous vote, with Mayor Matt Mahan absent. San Jose Police Department officials said the...
Follow the money in San Jose’s City Council races
A political newcomer is leading the fundraising pack in the race for this year’s sole open seat on the San Jose City Council, as incumbents in other districts raise funds to fend off rivals. The first round of campaign filings for the 2026 election cycle, submitted ahead of a Monday deadline, show candidates have raised...
San Jose mayor spars with gubernatorial candidates during debate
San Jose Mayor Matt Mahan faced his first major test as a contender for California governor Tuesday during a televised debate. The debate, hosted in San Francisco by KTVU, had Mahan standing shoulder to shoulder with six other candidates — conservative TV news pundit Steve Hilton, billionaire Tom Steyer, former Attorney General Xavier Becerra, former...
San Jose is world’s least affordable city for first-time homebuyers
San Jose has been ranked No. 1 for the least affordable city in the world for first-time homebuyers in a new global study, underscoring how far housing costs have outpaced wages in the heart of Silicon Valley. The study — conducted by financial services company Remitly — analyzed housing affordability in more than 150 cities...