Five years after Mountain View closed off three blocks of downtown Castro Street to vehicle traffic, the city is looking to add large, central crosswalks at two main intersections to create a continuous route for pedestrians walking down the center of the blocked off street. The first phase of the project, which city staff presented to the...
Beall: Building trust through accountability — How the Audit Committee strengthens Valley Water
At Valley Water, we believe accountability and transparency help us better serve the public. One way we uphold these values is through our Board Audit Committee, which provides independent oversight to help strengthen our organization’s performance. The Audit Committee consists of three directors who work under a formal charter. This year, I am proud to...
County assessor candidate earns support of San Jose mayor
As the race to become Santa Clara County assessor enters its last lap, leaders of Northern California’s largest city are all in on candidate Neysa Fligor. San Jose Mayor Matt Mahan and the City Council have endorsed Fligor in the race to succeed former longtime Assessor Larry Stone, who resigned in July and kicked off...
East San Jose paints its stories on neighborhood walls
A community-inspired mural project aims to beautify and revitalize a neighborhood in East San Jose. Artists gathered for the East Side Stories mural painting festival Saturday, complete with a DJ and lowrider cars around Tropicana Liquors on Story Road. Muralists created images of the Virgin Mary, lowriders and Mesoamerican symbols on the liquor store’s exterior walls....
State laws boost townhome project near Palo Alto Baylands
An area near the Baylands that has historically been defined by low-density office buildings and athletic fields may soon become the first major residential community Palo Alto east of the U.S. Highway 101. That, at least, is the vision pitched by Strada, a San Francisco-based developer, for the site at 2100 Geng Road, which is just...
Op-ed: Troubling patterns of Rishi Kumar’s candidacy for Santa Clara County assessor
Public institutions are built slowly, through decades of effort, trust and responsible stewardship. They can be weakened quickly when leadership disregards the delicate balance required to keep essential services functioning. This is especially true in Santa Clara County, where the property tax system underpins everything from public hospitals and behavioral health to schools, housing programs...
San Jose climate goals pivot from leaf blowers
San Jose residents have been clamoring for a ban on gas-powered leaf blowers for years, complaining about their noise and pollution. In response, the City Council began reviewing a proposal to encourage the use of electric leaf blowers through a subsidy program. The city is moving forward with a green subsidy more than a year and...
Homelessness no longer top issue for Bay Area residents
The number of Californians who are “very concerned” about homelessness has plummeted below 30% over the last six years. The percentage of Bay Area residents who are “very concerned” about the presence of homeless people in their community has dropped from 63% in 2019 to 28% in 2025, according to annual surveys conducted by the...
Campbell sales tax among highest in state after Measure A
Santa Clara County’s hospital lifeline sales tax increase won’t affect Silicon Valley residents equally. The temporary five-eighths-cent increase, approved by voters last month as Measure A, will bring the sales tax rate to 10% or higher in three cities where voters have already approved existing local tax measures: Milpitas, Campbell and San Jose. Los Gatos...
San Jose mayor looking for ‘change agent’ governor
San Jose Mayor Matt Mahan hosted several gubernatorial candidates at a tiny home site Friday, in the hopes of showcasing the city’s approach to slash homelessness through building temporary housing — and to get their buy in. During a tour of the city’s newest tiny home village at Cherry Avenue, Mahan said he’s looking for...