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....
San Jose mayor adds $2.5M to CA governor campaign
San Jose Mayor Matt Mahan’s billionaire-backed campaign for California governor just got another shot in the arm. Mahan’s campaign disclosed a $2.5 million windfall on Wednesday — amounting to $6 million in total direct fundraising reported since the launch of his bid for statewide office. Mahan has said publicly he’s raised $7 million. The filings...
Silicon Valley lawmakers criticize Mahan, endorse opponent
San Jose Mayor Matt Mahan’s moderate campaign for California governor has fared well with billionaires and tech moguls. But two progressive state lawmakers in his own backyard are less enthused. Democratic Assemblymembers Ash Kalra and Alex Lee are spurning Mahan’s bid for statewide office as a “handpicked” vessel for big tech’s movement to consolidate control...
Billionaire techies back Matt Mahan’s run for CA governor
Billionaires and tech moguls are spending mountains of cash to catapult San Jose Mayor Matt Mahan to the front of the race for California governor. Recent campaign finance reports show Mahan has raised more than $2 million, though he has touted raising a total of $7 million so far on social media. Google co-founder Sergey Brin,...