One endorsement that has raised eyebrows in the District 9 San Jose City Council race turns out to never have taken place. Genny Altwer finished the June 2 primary election in a commanding position, leading second-place candidate Gordon Chester by more than 10 percentage points. Fresh off the momentum from election night, Altwer’s campaign announced a raft...
Palo Alto mayor to run for reelection in November
Palo Alto Mayor Vicki Veenker has filed the paperwork to run for reelection this fall, meaning that two of the three City Council seats up for a vote in November will see an incumbent in the race. Veenker, who was first elected to the council in 2022, will seek another four-year term. Councilmember Ed Lauing,...
Bay Area public transit tax heads to November ballot
A highly touted Bay Area sales tax measure to fund public transit joins 14 other referendums that have qualified for the November election — and South Bay leaders said strong community support made it happen. The transit sales tax measure — which proposes a 0.5% increase in Santa Clara County — collected an estimated 241,964...
Six San Jose council candidates advance to November
The runoff matchups are now set in San Jose’s three competitive City Council races, after county election officials on Tuesday certified the vote tally from the June 2 primary. With none of the contenders winning an outright majority of the vote, six candidates — two each for District 5, District 7 and District 9 —...
Santa Clara County could see a bump in affordable homes
Santa Clara County may see another funding boost to build more affordable housing—if voters approve a bond measure in November. On June 25, Gov. Gavin Newsom signed a $11.25 billion affordable housing bond measure that would provide funding for home ownership, permanent supportive housing and the preservation of affordable housing. The bond would break out $1.25 billion...
San Jose kicks ranked choice voting down the road
The San Jose City Council has punted on a proposal that could have introduced ranked choice voting to certain city elections. Councilmembers on Tuesday voted 8-2 — with Vice Mayor Pam Foley and District 10 Councilmember George Casey voting against, and District 5 Councilmember Peter Ortiz absent — to advance a ballot measure that would...
Parcel tax helps preserve Santa Clara County open space
A group that works to preserve open space in Santa Clara County will receive millions of dollars every year toward its efforts, following the approval of a parcel tax. Measure D will generate $17 million annually through a two-cent-per-square-foot of building area parcel tax to fund creek and water restoration, land stewardship, expansion of open...
State primary may have seeded San Jose mayor’s future goals
San Jose Mayor Matt Mahan is going back to City Hall with his hat in his hands. But while his bid for governor failed, he’s shown residents and political observers a new side of himself – and the monied interests he’s willing to rub shoulders with. Mahan – who was in sixth place behind Steve Hilton...
Will San Jose mayor face fallout after running for governor?
When San Jose Mayor Matt Mahan announced his run for California governor in January, the news divided residents. Longtime supporters cheered on Mahan’s bid to elevate his centrist brand of politics into the statewide policy conversation. But the decision to seek higher office before reaching the halfway mark in his four-year term also drew sharp...
San Jose hotel tax on track for victory
A measure to increase taxes on San Jose hotels appears to be on an easy path to victory. More than 65.6% of votes tallied so far are in favor of Measure A, which would increase the city tax levied on hotel guests from 10% to 12%, according to election returns released Wednesday evening. Officials with the...