San Jose has doubled the number of homeless shelters it operates over the past year and a half — and with that comes staggering operational costs that will require creative cuts. The city is projecting its shelters will rack up $94 million in maintenance and operating costs in the upcoming fiscal year. This eye-popping figure...
Silicon Valley’s tech world takes center stage in state politics
From a wide-open governor’s race to a bitter congressional contest, Santa Clara County has emerged as a key battleground in the tech industry’s bid to control California politics — and shield billionaires from a wealth tax. Two electoral fights have shaped the “Valley of Heart’s Delight” into combative territory. In the 17th Congressional District, incumbent...
San Jose workers want safeguards from AI
San Jose has been an early adopter of generative artificial intelligence tools. Now the city’s largest public sector union is demanding it also move quickly to embrace safeguards for workers. Amid ongoing contract renewal negotiations with the city, AFSCME Local 101 has introduced a package of proposals intended to give workers a greater say in...
Will Matt Mahan’s solutions to homelessness work for California?
If San Jose Mayor Matt Mahan becomes California’s next governor, policy experts say some homeless solutions he has implemented in Silicon Valley’s largest city could work — but others may fall flat. Mahan has scaled up production of tiny homes, more than doubling the number of beds it operates last year to get people off...
San Jose mayor behind in polls but ahead on prediction markets
Traditional polling puts San Jose Mayor Matt Mahan toward the back of the pack in the race for California governor. But online gambling markets are betting bigger on his success. While polls by Emerson College, UC Berkeley and the Public Policy Institute of California have all put Mahan under 5% favorability in the race, the...
San Jose mayor touts 15-point housing plan for California
San Jose Mayor Matt Mahan aims to stand out from the crowded field of California governor candidates with a statewide policy plan to speed up housing production. Advocates say there’s plenty to like — even if certain facets of the plan could cut funding to local public services. Mahan unveiled his 15-point plan March 5...
San Jose mayor issues budget plan amid projected shortfall
As San Jose officials prepare a budget proposal that’s sure to involve significant cuts, Mayor Matt Mahan has marked out his own spending priorities for the city. The mayor’s annual March budget message, released Tuesday, directs city administrators to strive for maintaining key service areas — around homelessness, neighborhood blight, public safety, housing affordability and economic...
UPDATE: San Jose restricts use of license plate readers
San Jose is tightening controls over its automated license plate reader program, as the city faces mounting public pressure over surveillance concerns and a lawsuit. The City Council voted unanimously Tuesday to adopt a range of new safeguards for San Jose’s network of 474 cameras, including limits on where the devices may be installed and...
San Jose mayor’s social media use faces criticism
Just weeks after announcing his run for governor, San Jose Mayor Matt Mahan launched two new social media accounts on X and Instagram, each one designated as a city-backed account for official messaging. The move in February came amid City Hall grumbles about the mayor’s longstanding practice of using individual social media accounts for both...
Santa Clara County brings mental health services to shelters
An at-times icy relationship between San Jose and Santa Clara County seems to have thawed as the county works to bring mental health services to the city’s temporary housing sites for homeless residents. Last year, San Jose Mayor Matt Mahan claimed the county wasn’t doing enough to address homelessness, and called for more county investments....