City leaders want to give new businesses a tax break and parking benefits to lure them into downtown. A downtown office incentives policy is slated to pass at the City Council Tuesday in an effort to bring not just big corporations into the city’s core, but also small businesses. Under the proposed policy, any new...
Election 2024: San Jose official wants to keep improving District 8
Domingo Candelas has hit the ground running since being appointed to represent District 8 on the San Jose City Council in 2023. As the incumbent, he wants a chance to his continue the work he started for a full four-year term, but first he has to beat his challenger Tam Truong who came in a close second during...
Election 2024: San Jose D10 challenger wants to change the status quo
For George Casey, the impetus for him running for San Jose City Council came from an event that left him frustrated about why the city wasn’t doing more to protect its residents. A few years ago, his mother’s purse got snatched. Despite catching the incident on video, the police told them there was nothing they...
Election 2024: D10 San Jose official says he has more to do
San Jose Councilmember Arjun Batra’s interest lies in identifying the perceived weaknesses in the city’s systems — and working to fix them. The San Jose City Council appointed Batra to represent District 10 in 2023 after Matt Mahan vacated the seat to become mayor. He is vying for a chance to continue the work he...
Election 2024: Educator turned advocate runs for San Jose D2 seat
Pamela Campos said she remembers being in middle school the first time she marched with her family for immigrant rights — an experience that set her on a path toward advocating for families in her community where housing and child care are top issues. A policy and program officer, Campos, 29, is running for the...
Election 2024: Retired sheriff’s deputy seeks San Jose D2 seat
Joe Lopez said he was thrust into the world of public service when he became one of the first bilingual hostage negotiators for the Santa Clara County Sheriff’s Office, an experience enhancing the decades-long law enforcement career that sparked his interest in city government. A retired deputy, Lopez, 71, is running for the open San Jose City...
UPDATE: San Jose officials question who controls Vietnamese garden
San Jose officials are reckoning with a political fight over a park important to the city’s older Vietnamese community. The issue reached a handful of councilmembers at Wednesday’s Rules and Open Government Committee, which voted unanimously with brief discussion for a clear explanation as to how the parks department manages access to the Vietnamese Heritage...
San Jose residents dispute outreach on safe sleeping site
A potential sanctioned encampment for homeless individuals near San Jose’s Watson Park has some neighbors upset with what they perceive as a lack of outreach. City officials have zeroed in on the first potential safe sleeping site at 1157 E. Taylor St., which could open as early as the beginning of next year with other sites to follow....
San Jose councilmembers team up to lobby city
Terming out of office hasn’t kept San Jose policymakers from sticking around City Hall as paid lobbyists. But the business of swaying former colleagues is becoming a crowded field. Councilmember Sergio Jimenez is jumping into the elected official to lobbyist pipeline. He’s already formed a new consulting firm before terming out of his council seat...
East San Jose businesses to launch growth plan
East San Jose businesses are partnering with the city to launch a plan to drive more shoppers into the Tully Eastridge neighborhoods and breathe new life into its diverse economy. The business owners want to create a business improvement district as a way to draw more foot traffic to the area for upcoming events such as farmers markets...