A new city audit has awarded high marks to San Jose’s program for clearing abandoned or inoperable vehicles from city streets. But the finding has met with skepticism and renewed calls for reform from residents and city leaders who say the longstanding problem is still far from being solved. The report from the City Auditor’s Office...
San Jose’s oldest plaza gets new name
San Jose has a new name for its downtown plaza after months of community engagement, following allegations of sexual abuse against the late civil rights leader César Chávez for whom the space was named. The City Council on Tuesday unanimously approved renaming the 3.4-acre public space Plaza de San Jose, following a city-led process that...
San Jose approves new union contract, but holdout remains
While the San Jose City Council has approved new contract agreements with several public sector unions, a protracted labor dispute that has brought the city government dangerously close to a major worker strike will continue, after one bargaining group’s members rejected the deal. Councilmembers on Tuesday unanimously approved updated three-year contracts that will cover roughly...
Speed camera pilot program revs up in San Jose
After delays due to a lost federal grant, San Jose is rolling out a long-anticipated speed safety camera pilot program intended to save lives by convincing drivers to slow down. Testing and installation of a new network of 33 cameras is already underway, as the city prepares for a Dec. 14 launch. For the first...
San Jose data center advances after pushback
A proposal to reclassify a research facility in North San Jose as a data center is moving forward, after the San Jose City Council rejected an appeal attempting to block the project on environmental grounds, amid a citywide backlash against data center developments. Councilmembers voted unanimously Tuesday — with Councilmember Peter Ortiz absent and Vice Mayor...
San Jose police use of force cases continue to rise
Police use of force incidents and misconduct allegations continued to rise in San Jose last year, according to a recently released report from the Office of the Independent Police Auditor, the city’s police watchdog agency. The annual report includes statistics on police misconduct for 2025 as well as reform recommendations from Interim Police Auditor Dwight...
San Jose self-checkout reform effort gets grocer pushback
A union-backed push to impose staffing requirements for grocery store self-checkout areas in San Jose faces fierce pushback from local retailers. Taking inspiration from a handful of Southern California cities that have already adopted such measures — including Costa Mesa, Long Beach and Santa Ana — councilmembers have asked staff to draw up regulations for...
San Jose leaders zero in on flood risks amid strong El Niño
As a strong El Niño season heightens flood risks throughout California, some in San Jose are raising the alarm that shaky coordination between South Bay government agencies could hamstring emergency preparation efforts. During a Tuesday joint meeting between the Valley Water board of directors and San Jose City Council, a chorus of officials and residents warned that...
San Jose sets rules for delivery robots
San Jose’s experiment with autonomous food delivery robots is entering a new phase as the city prepares to roll out rules governing their use, including operating fees as well as fines for companies that run afoul of the new standards. The City Council greenlit a regulatory package Tuesday that will not only set the rules...
San Jose candidates’ campaign dollars grow as election nears
San Jose’s three competitive City Council races have seen a surge in campaign donations since the June primary election, as six candidates battle it out ahead of November, according to the latest round of campaign filings. The roughly $240,000 in direct contributions raised between July 1 and Sept. 19 — which represents nearly a third of...