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A Santa Clara planning commissioner has been fired after officials discovered he does not live in Santa Clara and falsely claimed to be a registered voter in the city. Ron Patrick served in one June meeting of the Santa Clara Planning Commission when his eligibility for the position was called into question. Councilmember Anthony Becker,...
Santa Clara mayor, school district may have skirted state labor laws
Santa Clara Mayor Lisa Gillmor’s property management company and a local school district appear to have violated state labor laws by failing to pay prevailing wages to contractors at an affordable housing site for teachers, a San José Spotlight investigation has found. Casa Del Maestro, located at 3455 Lochinvar Ave., was a first-of-its-kind effort in the...
Santa Clara expects increase in homeless residents
Santa Clara wants to address homelessness throughout the city, as officials expect the number of unhoused residents has grown during the COVID-19 pandemic. Advocates and residents discussed the prevalence of homelessness in Santa Clara during a Tuesday meeting of the city’s eight-member homelessness task force, which launched at the end of April and meets monthly...
49ers offer millions to settle Santa Clara lawsuit
One of the biggest legal battles between Santa Clara and the San Francisco 49ers could be coming to an end. The football team sued the city in 2019 after councilmembers voted to remove the team as the manager of Levi’s Stadium during non-NFL events—a controversial decision that marked the latest blow in a contentious, high-profile fight....
Santa Clara official accused of living out of state
Questions are swirling about whether a Santa Clara elected official, who holds a critical role handling everything from city records to council meeting details, lives in the city he serves. Emails to councilmembers this week claim the city clerk, Hosam Haggag, now lives in Washington, and asked if elected officials are no longer required to live in...
Santa Clara official looks to oust Mayor Lisa Gillmor
A Santa Clara councilmember is looking to shake up the status quo by running for mayor. Anthony Becker, who represents District 6, plans to face off against six-year incumbent Mayor Lisa Gillmor in November if she seeks reelection. Becker, who says Gillmor has been in power for far too long, announced his candidacy in front of City Hall...
Will Santa Clara voters approve a headcount tax for businesses?
A business tax will reap millions for Santa Clara if residents approve a ballot measure in November. Voters will be asked whether the city should update the “headcount” tax business license fee, which has not been revised in 30 years and charges $15 to $500 annually based on the industry and number of employees. On...
How much will Santa Clara lose when Great America closes?
Santa Clara expects steep losses of more than half a million dollars in revenue each year when Great America shuts its gates within the next decade. News last week of the amusement park’s $310 million sale to San Francisco-based real estate firm Prologis shocked Silicon Valley. This comes on the heels of Santa Clara already...
UPDATE: Santa Clara delays putting business tax before voters
Santa Clara leaders are holding off on putting a business tax before voters in order to allow for more input from a local business group. The City Council voted unanimously Tuesday to wait until July 11 to vote on placing a measure on the November ballot to increase the city’s business “headcount” tax to close...
‘End of an era’: Silicon Valley mourns losing Great America
The clock is ticking down at the South Bay’s beloved amusement park, and residents throughout Silicon Valley have been reflecting on the loss. Cedar Fair Entertainment Company, which owns California’s Great America in Santa Clara, announced Monday that it is selling the 46-year-old property for $310 million to San-Francisco based Prologis, a national real estate...