San Jose city leaders approved a citywide rent freeze after an hours-long debate that ended in a 7-4 vote Tuesday night. The vote comes after last week’s attempt to implement a rent suspension for San Jose families financially affected by COVID-19 was quickly struck down over concerns the proposal violated the Constitution. Councilmembers Raul Peralez...
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San Jose looks to increase emergency housing, discuss budget cuts due to COVID-19
With more than 1,200 COVID-19 positive cases countywide and counting, San Jose leaders are scrambling to stop the spread to homeless people and vulnerable residents living in shelters, encampments and overcrowded homes by building emergency housing. The City Council on Tuesday will discuss a proposal to allocate more than $17 million to build modular homes...
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San Jose lawmakers unanimously approve paid sick leave policy
Low-wage workers in San Jose employed during the coronavirus pandemic will soon receive paid sick leave if they start to feel ill on the job. Following a unanimous vote Wednesday, the San Jose City Council decided to move forward with the emergency ordinance, one week after Mayor Sam Liccardo introduced policy. “We believe that compliance is...
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San Jose: Paid sick leave proposal stalls as lawmakers raise questions
The fast-moving spread of the novel coronavirus has forced millions of Bay Area residents to stay shuttered in their homes, threatening the local economy and disrupting countless lives. But the hundreds of thousands of employees in San Jose who don’t have paid sick leave could face a difficult choice of risking their health by working while...
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San Jose councilmembers unanimously approve mayor’s new budget plan
As the city copes with the ongoing economic impacts of the coronavirus outbreak, San Jose Mayor Sam Liccardo announced in his recent budget message that he wants to shift public dollars to prioritize housing and homelessness, while cutting back on city spending in the event of an economic downturn. The mayor’s budget message, which was...
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San Jose approves new zoning rules for mobile homes to bolster protections
San Jose lawmakers on Tuesday unanimously approved creating a new land use designation for mobile home parks that would prevent hundreds of low-income residents from being forced to lose their homes as developers eye the land to build extravagant new homes. The stricter redevelopment protections will apply to all 58 mobile home parks in the...
Incumbents have big leads in quest for second terms on San Jose council
With all the precincts reporting in District 6, incumbent Councilmember Dev Davis fell to 49 percent of the vote, sending her to a November runoff with biomedical engineer Jake Tonkel. As of midnight, Davis’ slim 50 percent lead dropped below the majority threshold as her three challengers gained steam. Tonkel came in second with 27...
LIVE BLOG: Election Day is underway in the South Bay
After a long and at-times grueling campaign season, South Bay voters on Tuesday headed to more than a hundred vote centers to fulfil their civic duty, casting votes at the top of the ticket for president down to the consequential San Jose City races that could shake things up at City Hall. 11:30 p.m. San...
What you need to know to vote on Election Day in Silicon Valley
Election Day is here, and hundreds of thousands of South Bay residents will flock to the polls to make their voices heard. California’s first year with an early primary election — in March instead of June — puts the country’s most populous state in a consequential position to help decide the Democratic presidential nomination. About...
Khamis: Recycling the once un-recyclable: My push for a dirty plastics recycling facility
On Tuesday, San Jose took a large step toward environmental sustainability when my colleagues on the City Council voted to include my recent proposal for attracting a Polypropylene Plastic Purification & Recycling Plant (PRP) to San Jose on the list of approved city priorities for the coming six months. I am especially grateful to my...