A Silicon Valley politician allegedly stole thousands of pages of confidential documents related to an investigation into claims she harassed and abused her colleagues. San José Spotlight has learned that security camera footage captured the incident. Rebecca Eisenberg, an elected director of the Santa Clara Valley Water District, became the subject of a yearlong investigation...
South Bay officials interrupt Kamala Harris with ceasefire demands
Interrupting Vice President Kamala Harris during a San Jose appearance made Maimona Afzal Berta’s voice shake and her body tremble, but she felt compelled to stand up and speak out. “Madame Vice President, we demand a ceasefire now,” Berta yelled out in the middle of the packed theater at Mexican Heritage Plaza on Monday afternoon,...
Formerly homeless veterans in San Jose live in squalor
For years, homeless veterans housed at an emergency facility in San Jose have lived with bed bugs, black mildew, fire hazards and a lack of warm water — and they’re relying on outdated evacuation plans, disconnected fire sprinklers and unsafe electrical systems. These are the conditions described in a Santa Clara County inspection report for...
UPDATE: Top Santa Clara County leader lays out roadmap to community safety
The county’s top leader is optimistic about the future while acknowledging there’s a long way to go before her vision of community prosperity is achieved. Susan Ellenberg, president of the Santa Clara County Board of Supervisors, said at the annual State of the County address on Thursday that community safety requires a new definition of...
Transcript: Santa Clara County Supervisor Susan Ellenberg’s 2024 State of the County
Editor’s Note: This is a transcript of Santa Clara County Supervisor Susan Ellenberg’s full 2024 State of the County address. Read our coverage of the address. Good evening – thanks so much for making time to be here this evening to celebrate the work of our County departments, leaders and employees and to get a...
Santa Clara County to buy hundreds of acres for conservation
Just weeks after a deal fell through to buy the Richmond Ranch for development, county leaders are moving forward with turning the open space into a massive park. The Santa Clara County Board of Supervisors on Tuesday unanimously voted to begin acquiring a nearly 1,500-acre portion of the 3,654-acre ranch, with the remaining space being...
Santa Clara County expands use of license plate readers
License plate reading cameras are about to become more common along Silicon Valley roadways. The Santa Clara County Board of Supervisors on Tuesday unanimously approved an expansion of license plate reading cameras, adding coverage of unincorporated county areas that have not been annexed into neighboring cities. The expansion was approved without funding, which the Santa...
Santa Clara County won’t appeal 49ers tax break ruling
A yearslong debate over whether the 49ers should be allowed a multimillion-dollar property tax break for Levi’s Stadium has come to a close. Santa Clara County Assessor Larry Stone says he will not appeal a recent Superior Court ruling that upheld a decision to significantly reduce the tax burden associated with the stadium for the...
UPDATE: Santa Clara County caps spending for district projects
In light of looming budget challenges, Santa Clara County supervisors will cap how much money they give to various organizations in their districts. The Santa Clara County Board of Supervisors today voted to cap community spending per district at $1 million. They also directed county employees to come back at a future meeting with options...
Santa Clara County District 2 candidates agree on key issues
A historic race for the District 2 seat on the Santa Clara County Board of Supervisors may shape how residents in East San Jose vote in the March primary, with two local Vietnamese leaders vying for the job. Most candidates agreed on the key issues at a community forum held Wednesday at the Franklin-McKinley Elementary...