Serial entrepreneur, classic car collector, TV host, civic organizer — lifelong San Jose resident Mike Hennessy has worn a lot of hats over the years. Now, he said that wide-ranging experience has prepared him well to step into yet another role: District 9 councilmember. “I know I can add some common sense,” Hennessy, 70, told...
UPDATE: San Jose council puts hotel tax measure on June ballot
Facing yet another major budget shortfall, San Jose leaders have greenlit a proposal to hike taxes on hotel stays as a means of boosting revenue for city services. The City Council voted unanimously Tuesday in favor of placing a measure to increase the city’s hotel tax, also known as a transient occupancy tax, on the...
San Jose faces tough choices to balance budget shortfall
San Jose leaders are warning of “tough” financial decisions and “hard choices” as this year’s budget season officially gets underway. The months-long process kicked off Thursday with a special study session considering how to balance a projected deficit of up to $65 million. While the city managed to balance last year’s shortfall without laying off any workers,...
San Jose loosens rules for local card rooms
San Jose is easing restrictions on its local gambling industry as part of a months-long effort to lighten the regulatory burden placed on the city’s two card houses. The City Council approved a package of five rule changes Tuesday in a unanimous vote, with Mayor Matt Mahan absent. San Jose Police Department officials said the...
San Jose wants industrial land exempt from housing law
With just five months before landmark housing legislation takes effect throughout California, San Jose officials are racing to exempt broad swaths of the city from the law. Sen. Scott Wiener’s Senate Bill 79, signed into law in October, aims to encourage denser housing construction around transit hubs. In San Jose, the law would cover 40,000...
San Jose boosts incentives to convert offices to housing
San Jose wants to make it easier to convert its underused office buildings into housing with new financial incentives. The City Council voted unanimously Tuesday to expand an existing housing incentive program covering downtown residential high-rise projects to include conversion projects with at least 20 new homes. The city will cut certain fees and taxes for...
UPDATE: San Jose eases housing development requirements
The San Jose City Council has approved a trio of housing measures intended to spur local development by adjusting certain requirements that homebuilders say have stymied new projects. Two of the measures expand incentive programs that reduce construction taxes and ease affordable housing requirements for developers. A third measure revamps San Jose’s inclusionary housing policy,...
UPDATE: San Jose council delays mobile home rent increase
Some of the last naturally affordable housing in San Jose may be preserved, after officials deferred a proposed rent increase in mobile home parks. The City Council voted 10-1 Tuesday to delay a proposed 10% space rent increase whenever a mobile home is sold and engage in community meetings with residents and park owners to...
Audit shows rebound for San Jose hospitality and tourism
The nonprofit agency tasked with promoting San Jose’s hospitality and tourism industries just aced its annual performance audit. Boosters for local business are taking the high marks as a hopeful sign for the city as it heads into a critical year of major sports events. The audit foundTeam San Jose, which also manages major city-owned...
2026 marks another busy election year for San Jose
With five of San Jose’s 11 City Council seats up for grabs in 2026, the city is gearing up for another busy election year. As the looming contests begin to come into focus, San José Spotlight has asked several local political observers to discuss the races and election storylines they’ll be following most closely. They...