San Jose Mayor Matt Mahan is endorsing Anthony Tordillos in the upcoming runoff election for the District 3 seat on the City Council. San Pedro Square business owners were formally introduced to Tordillos, 33, by Mahan Friday morning when the two held a news conference to announce the mayor’s endorsement. Tordillos narrowly beat Matthew Quevedo,...
Report: San Jose festival was behind-the-scenes nightmare
San Jose’s Vietnamese Catholic Lunar New Year festival appeared to be all smiles this year. But a recently-obtained report alleges verbal abuse, property damage, safety concerns and political weight-throwing caused misery behind the scenes. The report — submitted by History San Jose to multiple City Hall officials in February — was kept hush for months...
Are San Jose voters rejecting mayor’s agenda?
San Jose Mayor Matt Mahan has plans to end homeless camping and appeal to California’s center-right political sphere. But his efforts hinge on the City Council’s help to pass his policies — and some question whether the District 3 special election has exposed cracks in that support. Early election results have been shaky for Mahan’s...
San Jose mayor wants to clear homeless camps near freeways
San Jose has been clearing homeless encampments along city waterways, and is looking to do the same for people living under freeways. Mayor Matt Mahan is exploring a partnership with Caltrans to accelerate sweeps near freeways through state legislation and a city pilot program. State freeways, highways and underpasses are under Caltrans’ jurisdiction. But due...
San Jose council approves mayor’s budget plan
San Jose officials have signed off on the mayor’s plan to reallocate a majority of funding meant for affordable housing and put it toward temporary homeless shelters. The City Council voted 7- 4 in a contentious meeting Tuesday to accept Mayor Matt Mahan’s March budget message for the 2025-26 fiscal year — with the elimination...
San Jose mayor’s budget plan targets homelessness
San Jose Mayor Matt Mahan has long said he wants elected officials and city leaders to be accountable for eliminating homelessness and improving public safety. That’s the centerpiece of his latest 2025-26 budget message. Mahan released his annual March budget message alongside Vice Mayor Pam Foley Wednesday, which is focused on his usual core issues...
San Jose mayor wants pay raises tied to performance
San Jose Mayor Matt Mahan said he wants to see measurable improvements in homelessness and public safety before doling out pay raises for top city officials. The announcement comes ahead of Mahan’s 2025-26 March budget message, set to be published Tuesday. Performance would be measured through the city’s focus area scorecards and dashboards, developed during...
San Jose could jail homeless residents for refusing shelter
The mayor of San Jose wants to penalize homeless people who refuse shelter by arresting or hospitalizing them, punting the service-resistant onto Santa Clara County for care. Mayor Matt Mahan unveiled his “Responsibility to Shelter” initiative Thursday, where homeless people who choose not to accept shelter after three attempts within an 18-month period will be...
San Jose wants to send homeless people back to families
San Jose is launching a program to relocate and reunify homeless people with their families as the city strives to end unsheltered homelessness. Homeward Bound, a pilot program proposed by Mayor Matt Mahan, will send outreach workers to make contact with homeless individuals and pay for transportation costs to bus them out of the city....
San Jose mayor wants to permanently shift affordable housing funds
Amid a budget shortfall, San Jose Mayor Matt Mahan wants to move money allocated to affordable housing toward temporary housing solutions — indefinitely. San Jose is facing a potential $60 million deficit for the upcoming 2025-26 fiscal year, due in large part to a drop in sales tax revenue. At a City Council meeting earlier...