Santa Clara

Santa Clara

Grand jury shunned accused Santa Clara officials

Santa Clara County’s civil grand jury failed to interview the majority of Santa Clara councilmembers it condemned for alleged misconduct in a controversial new report. Three of the five councilmembers admonished in the report  — Kevin Park, Raj Chahal and Anthony Becker — told San José Spotlight they were never contacted by the jurors. They...

‘Hatchet job’: 49ers rip Santa Clara County grand jury report on political influence

The San Francisco 49ers are lambasting a scathing new grand jury report that questions the team’s political influence and relationship with five Santa Clara councilmembers. The 61-page report, which will be publicly released Monday—the same day voters receive ballots in the mail—focuses on what it calls the “49 Five,” a politically-loaded term coined by opponents...

Santa Clara council questions mayor’s ethics

Santa Clara Mayor Lisa Gillmor is facing scrutiny and ethical questions from her colleagues after she lobbied Gov. Gavin Newsom to help a major developer skirt paying higher wages—months before the firm began a spending spree to support her reelection. The Santa Clara City Council voted 6-1 to direct its governance committee to discuss whether councilmembers should be...

Santa Clara mayor asks Newsom to give campaign donor a break

Santa Clara’s mayor is lobbying Gov. Gavin Newsom to help a major real estate firm save money on the largest mixed-use development planned in the state—months before the developer made a six-figure donation to her campaign. Mayor Lisa Gillmor wrote a letter to Newsom on March 4 advocating that Related Companies, which is developing a massive $8 billion...

Santa Clara mayor highlights budget, city growth in annual speech

As Santa Clara faces ongoing economic struggles exacerbated by the pandemic, the city’s mayor on Saturday presented a brighter vision for the future. During Mayor Lisa Gillmor’s first in-person State of the City address, she highlighted her administration’s approach to worsening local issues, such as homelessness. The city this past year has helped fund programs like...