San Jose may soon enforce banning homeless dwelling near schools if a proposed ordinance is passed. The issue was in plain sight with roughly a dozen RVs and vehicles lined on Educational Park Drive in East San Jose where Mayor Matt Mahan, Councilmember Peter Ortiz and two students spoke today about their plans to ban...
San Jose’s gun law leaves officers unclear on enforcement approach
The San Jose Police Department is contending with how to train its officers to enforce the city’s controversial gun law. Details surrounding the department’s initial training and subsequent refresher courses have not been publicly shared as police work to implement the Gun Harm Reduction Ordinance, which went into effect at the start of this year....
San Jose sued over public records—again
San Jose consistently breaks state law by “perpetually extending its own deadline” for responding to public records requests, a complaint filed against the city alleges. Stacey Brown, a former employee of Mayor Matt Mahan’s office, is suing San Jose, claiming the city has taken months to respond to a records request she filed in March, and...
Why don’t all San Jose elected officials pay their interns?
Student interns eagerly enter San Jose City Hall year-round with dreams of launching their political careers, but only some leave with a paycheck. On the 18th floor of city hall, there are currently 66 student interns who work for councilmembers or the mayor—and about 60% are paid for their time. Just seven interns receive hourly pay...
San Jose political show says goodbye to longtime host
A local public access television show is changing the channel as a longtime political host steps away. Terry Christensen, host and executive producer of Valley Politics, retired in May after eight years leading the show on CreaTV San Jose. He’s been an expert on local politics and public policy for decades. He’s a political science...
Former San Jose mayor must explain how he complied with records law
A superior court judge is ordering former San Jose Mayor Sam Liccardo to explain under penalty of perjury how he searched his private emails and texts for messages related to city business in response to a lawsuit from this news organization. In a ruling issued last week, Santa Clara County Superior Court Judge Thomas Kuhnle said Liccardo must...
The first six months: San Jose Councilmember Arjun Batra
Editor’s Note: This article is part of a San José Spotlight series examining the newest San Jose councilmembers and their first six months in office. San Jose Councilmember Arjun Batra is new to politics and said he doesn’t think like a politician — but that’s what he feels is his best asset. Batra’s background doesn’t include the...
The first six months: San Jose Councilmember Domingo Candelas
Editor’s Note: This article is part of a San José Spotlight series examining the newest San Jose councilmembers and their first six months in office. District 8 San Jose Councilmember Domingo Candelas hasn’t moved far from his Evergreen childhood home. Growing up in the Brigadoon neighborhood in southeast San Jose, the freshman councilmember attended Evergreen Valley High School...
MLB to San Jose mayors: No team anytime soon
San Jose has been rebuffed by Major League Baseball once again. Commissioner Rob Manfred issued a terse response this week to Mayor Matt Mahan and four former San Jose mayors who called on MLB to remove the San Francisco Giants’ South Bay territorial rights to clear a path for a possible expansion team in the city....
School run by San Jose mayor’s wife scores city grant
A San Jose private school run by none other than the mayor’s wife is receiving a six-figure grant. The $862,000 city grant is raising questions about favoritism due to the school’s close connections to the former mayor and other city hires, with some officials questioning whether taxpayer dollars should be awarded to a private religious...