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Teresa O’Neill has touted herself the environmental candidate for Santa Clara City Council but a review by this news organization found the councilmember owns up to $1.02 million in stocks in oil and coal-mining companies, according to her recent Form 700 disclosures. On her ballot statement and in various interviews, O’Neill has cited fighting climate...
Santa Clara approves new financial tracking for 49ers, Levi’s Stadium
After years of finger pointing and court battles, Santa Clara lawmakers approved a new way to keep tabs on Levi’s Stadium and the 49ers’ financials. Most recently, the city and 49ers have clashed over who owes money to whom. The 49ers, which manage Levi’s Stadium, say the city owes $2.74 million for losses from non-NFL...
Santa Clara candidate kicked off Nextdoor after ‘politically motivated’ posts against her
Santa Clara City Council candidate Harbir Kaur Bhatia about a week ago discovered posts on Nextdoor that propagated false information about her. “The people that are pushing this message are people in collusion with each other to ensure my credibility is destroyed,” Bhatia told San José Spotlight. While Bhatia, a candidate challenging Santa Clara Councilmember...
Agrihood’s urban farm housing project poised for spring groundbreaking in Santa Clara
With the final funding in place, Agrihood’s urban farm housing project in Santa Clara can move forward after years of planning. Receiving a state grant of $50 million in tax-exempt bonds from the California Debt Limit Allocation Committee on Sept. 16 put the project on track for a March or April groundbreaking, officials said. Occupancy...
Questions swirl about Santa Clara candidate’s lobbying record, relationship with mayor
As the race for two open seats on the Santa Clara City Council heats up, documents obtained by San José Spotlight raise questions about one candidate’s relationship to the mayor and his lobbying activity. Robert Mezzetti, a longtime San Jose attorney, is facing Anthony Becker and Gary Barve in the District 6 council race. Mezzetti...
49ers drop $250,000 to defeat mayor’s allies on Santa Clara City Council
One day after San José Spotlight reported a developer funneling money through the Santa Clara police union to elect allies of Mayor Lisa Gillmor, her archnemesis — the San Francisco 49ers — threw in six figures to defeat them. The 49ers on Sept. 30 dropped $250,000 into a committee called Citizens for Efficient Government and...
Lawsuits detail claims of civil rights violations by Santa Clara council candidate
During his law enforcement career, Santa Clara City Council candidate Bob O’Keefe became the subject of two lawsuits claiming he violated people’s civil and constitutional rights, according to court documents obtained by San José Spotlight. One man arrested by O’Keefe for allegedly buying jet skis using a false identity was later found factually innocent, which...
Police union backs all-white Santa Clara City Council slate with $25K developer donation
With a hefty donation from a developer building a massive project in the city, Santa Clara’s police union is funding campaign mailers supporting a slate of City Council candidates backed by Mayor Lisa Gillmor. The Related Company has coughed up $25,000 to the Santa Clara Police Officers’ Association Political Action Committee to re-elect Councilmembers Kathy...
Santa Clara City Council candidate runs into conflict with downtown redevelopment
Suds Jain’s Santa Clara home, nestled in the core of District 5, now presents an 80-foot detour in his campaign for a seat on the City Council. A resident of the Old Quad neighborhood near Santa Clara University since 1998, the Planning Commissioner’s home is just under 1,000 feet away from the edge of the...
Candidates say Santa Clara City Council is underrepresented by minorities
Only 45% of Santa Clara residents are white, according to the 2010 census. However, out of six City Council seats, one mayor and one vice mayor, there is only one councilmember who is not white. “We are in a minority-majority city and not having a councilmember of color, of minority, for so long — it...