The Santa Clara County Public Defender’s Office has filed more than a dozen motions over the last four years contesting racist criminal charges against people of color. Only one has been sustained in court. The county recorded its first Racial Justice Act violation last month since the landmark California law passed in 2020. The bill,...
Silicon Valley nonprofits mismanaged federal dollars
Dozens of uncashed checks. Expenditures that were not allowed. Tardiness in submitting quarterly performance reports. These are some of the issues found in an audit of local nonprofits providing housing assistance during the pandemic. In fiscal year 2021-22, the San Jose Housing Department received $89 million in federal and state dollars for nonprofits to distribute for...
What Silicon Valley DNC delegates say about Biden
Most of Silicon Valley’s delegates to the Democratic National Convention who backed President Joe Biden are now on board with fresh leadership from the party. Days before Biden withdrew from the race Sunday amid intensifying calls for him to step aside, most delegates stood staunchly behind him. Some local Democrats wished they had a better...
Santa Clara County property value growth is slow
The total assessed value of all properties in Santa Clara County has increased, but revenue isn’t enough to keep up with cost of services. According to the 2024 Assessment Roll, Santa Clara County’s assessed property value is $696.8 billion and has grown by $35.6 billion, or 5.4%, from last year. That growth rate isn’t fast...
Santa Clara County supervisor candidates respond to reader questions
Four politicians vying for two open seats on the Santa Clara County Board of Supervisors in June received dozens of questions from attendees of San José Spotlight’s flagship all-day political festival, PolitiBeat. With a limited time for the candidate forum — one of eight live discussions at the Hammer Theater in downtown San Jose —...
San José Spotlight wins 4 first place state journalism awards
San José Spotlight brought home seven California Journalism Awards in the annual contest sponsored by the California News Publishers Association, including four first-place wins. The yearly competition showcases the best print and digital reporting and photography statewide. News organizations compete in divisions based on size and circulation and, for the first time, the awards combined...
Follow the money: Silicon Valley’s 2024 general election
Candidates have raised millions of dollars across many contentious races to represent Silicon Valley, on national, state and local stages. The most anticipated race is in Congress, for who will represent Congressional District 16 following Rep. Anna Eshoo’s retirement. After a crowded March primary election, former San Jose Mayor Sam Liccardo came out on top,...
Santa Clara officials respond to being labeled ‘dysfunctional’
Santa Clara officials have to come to an agreement on how to respond to a report about how their disagreements and infighting have hurt the city. The Santa Clara City Council addressed the recent report from the Santa Clara County Civil Grand Jury, which lambasted councilmembers for their inability to work together and claimed their...
Heat wave highlights Silicon Valley homeless response problems
Los Gatos’ temperature hit 107 degrees as Mason, wearing a black coat and backpack, walked from his camp in the brush toward Highway 17. He started having heat-related symptoms and laid down, heaving. He didn’t want to die on the streets. Mason, who asked to only use his first name, made it back to the...
Silicon Valley mayors want fair share of $20B housing bond
A group of Silicon Valley mayors want to know how funds will be divided if voters pass a measure to build and preserve affordable housing across the region. A letter signed by 12 mayors of Santa Clara County’s 15 municipalities went to the Board of Supervisors on July 5, asking the county to establish an expenditure...