Santa Clara’s $400 million infrastructure bond looks to be passing, giving the city a much needed cash infusion to tackle infrastructure repairs. As of 5 p.m. on Monday, Santa Clara’s Measure I had 69.1% approval, squeaking past the 66.7% needed to pass. The 30-year bond will levy $19 per $100,000 of assessed property value. Officials...
Santa Clara official’s perjury trial sheds light on alleged lies
Santa Clara Vice Mayor Anthony Becker’s perjury trial is underway, with witness testimony alleging he leaked a 2022 Santa Clara County Civil Grand Jury report. Becker is on trial for allegedly lying about whether he leaked an early copy of a grand jury report about the 49ers’ relationship with the Santa Clara City Council to former...
49ers spend millions in Santa Clara council races
Special interest groups have sunk millions of dollars into November’s Santa Clara city elections to decide its future government. The San Francisco 49ers have spent the most money supporting who the team wants sitting on the City Council, burning $2.3 million so far. Other special interest groups include the Santa Clara Police Officers Association, Santa...
Fired Santa Clara officials can’t stay away from city politics
Santa Clara political observers worry that former officials are making moves to return to City Hall. The Santa Clara City Council fired City Manager Deanna Santana and City Attorney Brian Doyle in 2022, but they’re still sticking around. Santana recently donated about $100 to each of the four council candidates backed by Mayor Lisa Gillmor. The move...
Former Santa Clara official fined for violating campaign rules
A former Santa Clara official is being fined for multiple campaign violations years after losing a Santa Clara County supervisor race. Former Santa Clara Councilmember Dominic Caserta was slapped with a $22,500 fine from the Fair Political Practices Commission (FPPC) over misuse of campaign funds in his 2018 bid for the District 4 Board of...
Santa Clara candidate linked to baseless Trump claims and misinformation
One candidate running for Santa Clara City Council is distancing himself from past social media posts spewing misinformation. Satish Chandra, a software engineer running against two others to replace Councilmember Kathy Watanabe in District 1, made several Facebook posts in 2020 perpetuating baseless claims made by former President Donald Trump about election fraud and COVID...
Santa Clara mayor’s push to win back power
In an effort to wrangle power and secure a favorable majority in her final term, Santa Clara Mayor Lisa Gillmor has handpicked two candidates to challenge her loudest critics on the City Council and is supporting two others — a move that could advance her political agenda and shape her legacy. This November, voters will decide...
UPDATE: Santa Clara official’s perjury trial delayed again
Santa Clara Councilmember Anthony Becker’s perjury trial has been delayed again, pending the court’s schedule. Becker was accused of perjury in April 2023 after allegedly lying about leaking a Santa Clara County Civil Grand Jury report ahead of its publication. Attempts for a plea deal fell through in late August. Judge Panteha Saban put the...
Santa Clara City Council begrudgingly responds to grand jury
Tensions on the Santa Clara City Council flared over how to officially respond to reports calling it “dysfunctional” and suggesting the city did a poor job negotiating its Levi’s Stadium contracts. Councilmembers met on Tuesday and Wednesday to approve official responses to two reports from the Santa Clara County Civil Grand Jury. They disagreed on...
Meet the candidates running for Santa Clara City Council
Santa Clara voters in November will weigh whether to replace half their elected officials and decide who should win a highly-competitive open seat. Voters will also be asked to cough up money to fix the city’s crumbling roads and buildings. The Santa Clara City Council has four seats up for election in Districts 1, 4,...