San Jose housing advocates and neighborhood groups are getting organized as the City Council prepares to take up a raft of proposals that could determine the course of housing development in the city for years to come. The package of recommendations, part of the city’s once-every-four-year review of its general plan, makes changes to the city’s...
Six San Jose council candidates advance to November
The runoff matchups are now set in San Jose’s three competitive City Council races, after county election officials on Tuesday certified the vote tally from the June 2 primary. With none of the contenders winning an outright majority of the vote, six candidates — two each for District 5, District 7 and District 9 —...
RV bans in San Jose reduce vehicles on streets by 60%
RVs that used to be ubiquitous on San Jose’s streets have dropped by more than half since the city began upping the pressure on people living in vehicles. While officials say this has created cleaner and safer neighborhoods, those vulnerable say these policies are pushing them over the edge. Since last January when San Jose...
Downtown parking fee hike riles local businesses
San Jose has delayed a decision on whether to increase downtown parking prices after widespread pushback from local businesses and workers. The measure would have increased rates for hundreds of parking meters in the downtown core from $2 an hour to a maximum of $4 an hour, and also extended the machine’s operating hours further...
San Jose kicks ranked choice voting down the road
The San Jose City Council has punted on a proposal that could have introduced ranked choice voting to certain city elections. Councilmembers on Tuesday voted 8-2 — with Vice Mayor Pam Foley and District 10 Councilmember George Casey voting against, and District 5 Councilmember Peter Ortiz absent — to advance a ballot measure that would...
Water and garbage rates increase for San Jose residents
While utility hikes are a regular occurrence for San Jose residents, an especially sharp jump in garbage disposal fees and water rates have led to pushback amid growing concern over rising living costs. Under new fee schedules set to take effect July 1, the start of fiscal year 2026-27, San Jose’s garbage disposal service fee...
State proposition could wipe out San Jose’s Measure E funds
San Jose leaders are rallying opposition to a measure headed for the statewide November ballot that could undermine a cornerstone of the city’s efforts to keep low-income people housed. The measure, championed by the Howard Jarvis Taxpayers Association, raises the threshold to pass local voter-sponsored tax initiatives, and also limits the amount cities can tax...
San Jose passes budget with millions of dollars in service cuts
The San Jose City Council passed a $5.5 billion budget Tuesday, balancing a $50 million deficit by tapping into reserve funds and making wide ranging service cuts — but no layoffs. Over the course of the four-month-long budgeting process, San Jose leaders have warned the city may need to resort to painful fiscal trimming. However, in...
Will San Jose mayor face fallout after running for governor?
When San Jose Mayor Matt Mahan announced his run for California governor in January, the news divided residents. Longtime supporters cheered on Mahan’s bid to elevate his centrist brand of politics into the statewide policy conversation. But the decision to seek higher office before reaching the halfway mark in his four-year term also drew sharp...
Bien Doan leads in San Jose District 7 council race
Early election night results show San Jose Councilmember Bien Doan with a commanding lead in the race for the District 7 seat on the San Jose City Council. As of 5 p.m. Wednesday, Doan has 48.5% of the vote or 3,580 votes, followed by Van Le, an East Side Union High School District trustee, in...