San Jose Councilmember Arjun Batra’s interest lies in identifying the perceived weaknesses in the city’s systems — and working to fix them. The San Jose City Council appointed Batra to represent District 10 in 2023 after Matt Mahan vacated the seat to become mayor. He is vying for a chance to continue the work he...
Election 2024: Educator turned advocate runs for San Jose D2 seat
Pamela Campos said she remembers being in middle school the first time she marched with her family for immigrant rights — an experience that set her on a path toward advocating for families in her community where housing and child care are top issues. A policy and program officer, Campos, 30, is running for the...
Election 2024: Retired sheriff’s deputy seeks San Jose D2 seat
Joe Lopez said he was thrust into the world of public service when he became one of the first bilingual hostage negotiators for the Santa Clara County Sheriff’s Office, an experience enhancing the decades-long law enforcement career that sparked his interest in city government. A retired deputy, Lopez, 71, is running for the open San Jose City...
UPDATE: San Jose officials question who controls Vietnamese garden
San Jose officials are reckoning with a political fight over a park important to the city’s older Vietnamese community. The issue reached a handful of councilmembers at Wednesday’s Rules and Open Government Committee, which voted unanimously with brief discussion for a clear explanation as to how the parks department manages access to the Vietnamese Heritage...
San Jose residents dispute outreach on safe sleeping site
A potential sanctioned encampment for homeless individuals near San Jose’s Watson Park has some neighbors upset with what they perceive as a lack of outreach. City officials have zeroed in on the first potential safe sleeping site at 1157 E. Taylor St., which could open as early as the beginning of next year with other sites to follow....
Why San Jose is swapping e-scooter companies
Lime and Bird brand electric scooters are disappearing from San Jose streets as the city brokers an exclusive deal with another company to launch up to 1,000 e-scooters. City transportation officials made the switch to Spin scooters Sept. 1, as they slowly phase out Bird’s remaining fleet of about 200 scooters. Micromobility devices like e-bikes,...
UPDATE: San Jose scraps plan to sell tiny homes site to county
After angry community protests, San Jose officials are scrapping plans to sell Santa Clara County a tiny homes site to house incarcerated people with mental health issues on the south side of the city. Councilmember Arjun Batra, who has vowed to stop the sale, confirmed to San José Spotlight that the city will put the...
San Jose councilmembers team up to lobby city
Terming out of office hasn’t kept San Jose policymakers from sticking around City Hall as paid lobbyists. But the business of swaying former colleagues is becoming a crowded field. Councilmember Sergio Jimenez is jumping into the elected official to lobbyist pipeline. He’s already formed a new consulting firm before terming out of his council seat...
West San Jose development cuts affordable apartments
A proposed West San Jose housing project that would have added more than 100 affordable homes has been scrapped. Sand Hill Property Company had a previously approved redesign for nearly 1,000 apartments across four separate buildings at the El Paseo de Saratoga shopping center, 150 of which would have been affordable housing. But the developer...
San Jose still searching for new flea market site
San Jose officials are hard-pressed to find an alternative site for the Berryessa Flea Market as development is set to displace vendors and threaten their livelihoods. The city has explored two of eight potential locations — the former Sears near Eastridge Mall and a former landfill in South San Jose — but they lack substantial...