It was a transformational year for Silicon Valley. A county assessor’s 30-year reign came to an end. Two city leaders were sentenced in court. Superintendent firings and mass layoffs rocked a host of local schools. And a judge brought an end to a historic transit labor strike. But for each chapter that was closed this...
Earning $250K? Mountain View wants to help residents buy a home
The price of housing in Mountain View has gotten so high that the City Council is now looking for ways to help people earning up to nearly $275,000 a year afford a home, with the limit going higher for couples and families. Last week, the City Council reviewed a plan that staff has been developing...
Santa Clara County new public defender is a familiar face
Damon Silver has for months led Santa Clara County’s public defender office in an acting role. Now his title is permanent — and he’s stepping into a watershed moment for Silicon Valley’s criminal justice landscape. The tech region’s crime-fueling wealth divide has deepened to “instability and revolt” levels, according to economists. The mayor of the...
Study shows food insecurity highest in East San Jose
During the last 10 days of every month, Julia pulls together whatever scant meals she can with produce from food banks and canned items until her food benefits renew. The 28-year-old, who didn’t provide her last name for privacy reasons, receives about $600 a month in food stamps to feed herself and three children. She...
Santa Clara County sheriff won’t release Taser body-cam footage
Santa Clara County leaders promised full transparency when they approved the deployment of Tasers in the jails. Now sheriff’s deputies are using them — and county leaders don’t want the public to see the videos. The county has repeatedly denied California Public Records Act requests by civil rights advocates seeking the body-worn camera footage of...
Kumar: Rebuttal to Larry Stone’s ‘The assessor is not a political position’
For decades, residents of Santa Clara County have endured inconsistent assessments, a broken appeals process and unprocessed refunds — all from an Assessor’s Office that has refused to modernize, standing in stark contrast to Silicon Valley’s cutting-edge innovation while maintaining a laser focus on extracting higher tax revenues from the very people who elected the...
Developer for Los Gatos project warns of legal costs
The developer of a proposed 13-story apartment building in Los Gatos warned the Town Council last week of potential legal costs for blocking the project, even though the council says the developer’s application is moving forward. “I respectfully want to tell you the town’s multiple lawsuits (related to housing construction), including attempting to block this...
Federal judge pauses changes to Santa Clara County housing grants
A federal judge has temporarily blocked efforts by President Donald Trump’s administration to upend federal funding for permanent housing. U.S. District Court Judge Mary S. McElroy on Friday granted a temporary injunction halting the upheaval of Continuum of Care grants, which have historically been used to fund permanent housing programs and are the federal government’s main response to...
Mountain View backs plan for more housing south of El Camino Real
Amid objections from some community members, the Mountain View City Council has backed a plan to allow for more housing in select areas south of El Camino Real, a part of the city that is currently made up of mostly single-family homes. In a 6-1 vote, the city council approved a motion to update land use...