After a successful push by community organizers, Santa Clara County officials have agreed to explore a reparations policy that could compensate Black residents for historic human rights violations and systemic racism. It’s still unclear when that will ultimately happen. County Supervisors Sylvia Arenas and Betty Duong last month approved a discussion on a reparations policy...
Santa Clara County budget cuts to hit mental health services
Santa Clara County officials were in the throes of a mental health crisis four years ago and took action to expand treatment. That progress is about to be scaled back as the county confronts an extreme budget shortfall. The Behavioral Health Services Department faces a $100 million deficit in the coming fiscal year due to...
South Bay property owners to pay fee for assessment appeals
Santa Clara County homeowners and businesses will have to pay hundreds of dollars in fees to challenge how much they pay in property taxes every year. The Board of Supervisors on Feb. 10 unanimously approved charging single-family home and condo owners $290 to appeal the county assessor’s determination of their property value, which in turn...
Santa Clara County tackles $470M budget shortfall
Santa Clara County leaders are looking at a $470 million deficit in the upcoming fiscal year — forcing the largest midyear budget adjustment in more than a decade as they look to close $200 million of the gap. The Board of Supervisors voted unanimously Tuesday to reshuffle 60 employees — mostly out of the public...
Future of Santa Clara County guaranteed income programs uncertain
To make guaranteed basic income a reality, Santa Clara County leaders turned to a real world trial. Now their efforts are making strides, but it couldn’t come at a darker time for the county’s social safety net outlook. A historic set of four simultaneous pilot programs is providing $1,200 in guaranteed basic income per month...
Santa Clara County may ditch camera vendor amid privacy issues
Cities across Silicon Valley may be on the cusp of cutting ties with a surveillance company linked to local police departments’ cooperation with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. Santa Clara County officials this week signaled growing distrust with Flock Safety, a company that sells license plate reading cameras to cities across California, over concerns the...
Will Santa Clara County arrest ICE agents at Super Bowl?
As the clock ticks toward the Super Bowl, one Santa Clara County leader’s vow to arrest ICE agents may force officials across the valley to confront their own rhetoric — pitting local cops against federal ones. There was no mistaking Board of Supervisors President Otto Lee’s emotional threat Tuesday. Now some city and public safety...
Citizen group to oversee Santa Clara County’s Measure A spending
Santa Clara County leaders promised their voter-approved sales tax increase would save local public hospitals from closure. That commitment will now be tested. The Board of Supervisors voted unanimously Tuesday to form a citizen oversight committee to ensure that $330 million in Measure A revenue will be spent as advertised. County leaders last year vowed Measure...
Santa Clara County looks to consolidate independent boards
Santa Clara County leaders are asserting stronger authority over key services and public land in the region. While the proposed changes have come with explanations, they haven’t gone through without friction. The county has moved to take direct control of various agencies under independent boards over the past two years. Officials want to replace the...
Santa Clara County may shake up volunteer disaster aid efforts
Santa Clara County wants to make changes to the region’s disaster aid pipeline — raising alarms for the nonprofit that has run it for decades. Emergency resource leaders are scratching their heads at the county’s efforts to restructure the region’s state-recognized Voluntary Organizations Active in Disaster. The network of community groups is managed by Collaborating Agencies Disaster Relief Effort (CADRE),...