A California legislator is questioning whether San Jose is wasting millions of dollars in state and federal monies in its efforts to address the homelessness crisis. State Sen. Dave Cortese made a formal request with the state auditor this week to conduct a review of San Jose’s use of funding on emergency housing programs and...
In tight San Jose mayor’s race, Matt Mahan slightly ahead of Cindy Chavez
Last updated 5 p.m. on Tuesday. The next update is expected at 5 p.m. on Wednesday. San Jose Councilmember Matt Mahan has emerged as the frontrunner in the highly-anticipated and competitive San Jose mayor’s race. With 90% of total ballots counted as of Tuesday night, Mahan leads with 51.3% of the vote. Santa Clara County Supervisor...
Sylvia Arenas ahead in race for District 1 Santa Clara County supervisor
Last updated 5 p.m. on Friday. The next update is expected 5 p.m. on Saturday. San Jose Councilmember Sylvia Arenas is leading the Santa Clara County Supervisor District 1 race, with former Councilmember Johnny Khamis trailing behind. With approximately 62% of ballots counted, Arenas is ahead with 53.7% of the vote, or 40,185 votes. Khamis...
Outsiders pour millions into San Jose mayor’s race
Special interests’ spending on the San Jose mayoral race has exceeded $5 million—with most of the money coming from outside the city. After more than a year of campaigning, Santa Clara County Supervisor Cindy Chavez and San Jose Councilmember Matt Mahan are locked in a heated, costly—and at times, ugly—competition, with Mayor Sam Liccardo terming out at the end...
LIVE BLOG: Voting underway in Santa Clara County
After a heated election season in Silicon Valley, voters headed to the polls Tuesday to cast their ballots in a consequential election that will bring new leadership to San Jose City Hall. In San Jose, residents will vote for a new mayor to replace Mayor Sam Liccardo. The highly-anticipated—and most expensive—contest of the season pitted...
San Jose wants to double pot shops to increase revenue
San Jose wants to more than double the number of cannabis dispensaries to increase tax dollars, but officials are struggling to find a policy that works. Last week, the San Jose City Council voted 10-1 to relax various regulations. Councilmember Matt Mahan was the lone dissenter. The new policy aims to change three issues to...
Staedler: A San Jose housing study session to nowhere
San Jose held a study session on Nov. 1 during the regularly scheduled city council meeting. It was the fourth they’ve held over the last several years. The city hired Century Urban LLC to perform a conceptual feasibility analysis and then brought several Urban Land Institute members to give their perspective on the difficulty of building...
San Jose mayor’s groups linked to attack ads
When San Jose Mayor Sam Liccardo quietly formed an advocacy organization last year, he insisted it would only weigh in on “common sense” policy issues. Eight months later, he launched a political action committee (PAC) and raised hundreds of thousands of dollars before stepping away. Now Liccardo’s two organizations are deeply intertwined and linked to some...
Election 2022: Voting in Santa Clara County
With Election Day a week away, it’s time to make sure you’re registered to vote, know what’s on the Nov. 8 ballot and how to cast your ballot. The deadline to register in California was Oct. 24—but it’s not too late. If you forgot to register before that deadline, you’ll be able to register at...
Laurie Smith is out as Santa Clara County sheriff
Santa Clara County Sheriff Laurie Smith is stepping down as the top law enforcement officer as her trial for corruption charges comes to a close. Undersheriff Ken Binder will replace Smith as acting sheriff until the Santa Clara County Board of Supervisors chooses one, or until a new one is elected, according to a Monday...