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An embattled cement plant near Cupertino might lose its permit to operate next year. The Santa Clara County Board of Supervisors voted unanimously this month to start a process to consider revoking or amending Lehigh Southwest Cement Company’s use permit. The decision comes roughly a month after the company announced it would permanently shut down its cement...
Silicon Valley makes history with trio of South Asian trustees
Three of the seven members on the county’s board of education are South Asian —making history for the most representation on the county’s powerful education board. The Santa Clara County Board of Education swore in its first Pakistani American members, Maimona Afzal Berta and Raeena Lari, this month. Both members won in November’s election: Berta...
Major Silicon Valley stories to watch in 2023
This past year has been highly consequential in South Bay politics, and some decisions are laying the groundwork for future changes. From new policymakers, ongoing homelessness crisis, to decadeslong debates on an East San Jose airport and a BART project, here are some major stories to watch out for 2023: Appointing two San Jose councilmembers The...
Santa Clara County DA refuses to reinstate former employee
An embattled Santa Clara County deputy district attorney should be back at work after the DA’s decision to fire him last year was overturned. But his boss is putting up a fight. A Nov. 10 arbitration ruling between the Santa Clara County District Attorney’s Office and the Government Attorneys Association, the union representing Deputy District Attorney...
Sunnyvale City Council race tied after second recount
After a nearly five-day recount and ballot review process, the extraordinary race for a Sunnyvale District 3 City Council seat is now tied. While initial election results and a recount showed candidate Murali Srinivasan holding a one-vote lead over opponent Justin Wang, another review validated three previously discounted ballots—swinging the race to a stalemate. “It seems like...
Cupertino leaders accused of berating city staff
A scathing report is accusing the Cupertino City Council of creating a hostile work environment that affected the city’s ability to properly function. The Santa Clara County Civil Grand Jury this week released its report, “A House Divided: Cupertino City Council and City Staff,” after investigating multiple complaints about council behavior toward city management and staff. The report showed...
Hundreds of people died on Silicon Valley streets in 2022
As 2022 comes to a close, advocates are remembering the 246 homeless people who died on Silicon Valley streets. About 70 residents gathered in McEntee Plaza at Santa Clara County Government Center in San Jose Wednesday for a memorial service featuring rows of makeshift tombstones, each with the name of a homeless person who died...
Silicon Valley offices less empty than other regions
In the wake of the pandemic, Silicon Valley is faring better than other nearby areas when it comes to office vacancies. But researchers say decisions on work culture at major tech companies could change the dynamic. That’s according to a recent report from Joint Venture Silicon Valley and commercial real estate broker JLL, which focused on...
Santa Clara County VTA service review long overdue
A state oversight agency required to conduct service reviews of VTA hasn’t done one in nearly a decade—and it could be years more before it does. The Local Agency Formation Commission (LAFCO), a California watchdog with offices in every county, is required by state law to review special districts like VTA every five years, as...
2022 in review: Silicon Valley’s top political stories
This year was a tumultuous one for Santa Clara County politics. The region will see a major shakeup with new leaders taking charge—for the first time in decades, in some cases. Local law enforcement and county health care workers are sounding alarms on issues at work, while the longtime county sheriff resigned and was found...