Three candidates for the Los Gatos Town Council all agree the town has a financial problem on its hands, with a projected roughly $4 million ongoing budget deficit beginning next year. While the candidates, who took part in a forum focused on town finances Tuesday night, all noted difficult choices lay ahead, they mostly avoided...
Los Gatos faces multi-million dollar budget shortfall
Multiple tax increases may be required in the town of Los Gatos as a budget deficit looms in the near future. While the Los Gatos Town Council voted last week to put a measure before voters in November to raise about $1 million annually by sharply increasing business license taxes, that may not be enough...
Los Gatos residents rally against town growth
Los Gatos residents are overall happy with their quaint upper-class town, but when is comes to growth management, sentiment darkens. Los Gatos recently conducted a community survey examining the quality of life and levels of services in town. The survey, conducted by market research company ETC Institute at a cost of $25,000, focused on where...
Affordable housing in Los Gatos faces uphill battle
Los Gatos has an ambitious plan to add thousands of homes in the next two decades, but some town officials and experts say it’s not doable as designed. Los Gatos, with a population of 33,000, has barely grown in the past decade. In its drafted 2040 General Plan, officials recommend building 3,783 housing units in the...
The Biz Beat: Kyoto Palace in Campbell still reigns after more than 40 years
The clang of the chef’s utensils delight as he twirls and flips them in the air, sending bits of egg for his customers to catch in their mouths. On the steaming griddle, he draws a rooster out of egg yolk to children’s squeals. This is part of Kyoto Palace’s renowned dinner and a show, but...
Campbell school district, teachers reach contract agreement after months of protest
The Campbell Union High School District and its educators have come to an agreement after more than a year of negotiations and months of protesting. The agreement, approved at a Thursday school board meeting, includes a $5,000 base pay increase for all teachers, retroactive to last July, and a 3% increase in salaries scheduled to...
Housing might replace shuttered Denny’s in Campbell
A 45-year-old local fixture in Campbell abruptly closed last month and could become a new housing development. The Denny’s restaurant at 2060 South Bascom Avenue in Campbell operated at the location since 1976. Two weeks ago, it shuttered with little notice. “We regret to inform you that as of 10/31/21 at 2 p.m., Denny’s has...
Campbell teachers lose trust in superintendent, board of trustees
Tensions between teachers and a local school district are boiling over as disputes over pay increases continue. Last week, teachers in the Campbell Union High School District presented the school board with a vote of no confidence in Superintendent Robert Bravo, detailing his shortcomings during his five-year tenure. The vote, signed by 380 teachers—85% of...
State lawmakers demand action following attacks on Los Gatos mayor
Two state legislators want to know what is being done to protect the Los Gatos mayor, councilmembers and their families, following reports of racially-charged “bullying, harassment and intimidation” at town meetings. Assemblymember Evan Low and Sen. Dave Cortese sent a letter to Town Manager Laurel Prevetti denouncing the disruption of government meetings and asking the town...
Major Los Gatos project promised 270 affordable apartments. Only 50 are happening.
The town of Los Gatos learned a tough lesson when it placed a big bet on the North 40 project to deliver affordable housing. One of the oldest jurisdictions in Santa Clara County, Los Gatos is made up of 71% single-family homes with a median price of $2.1 million on the current market. Construction of...