Santa Clara County leaders are still trying to lift the curtain on how taxpayer money is used to pay for lawsuit settlements on issues such as jail deaths. The Board of Supervisors took action to publicize such settlements last year, but reports haven’t fully delivered. Now supervisors want to include even more details for the...
Santa Clara County approves ‘less invasive’ house arrest monitors
Santa Clara County courthouses are trading in ankle monitors for less conspicuous surveillance of people who are on probation or awaiting trial. County judges in the coming weeks can instead monitor people through wristwatch trackers or specialized mobile phones with limited functionality, after the Santa Clara County Board of Supervisors on Tuesday approved a $3...
Santa Clara County stops budget bleed, not future woes
Santa Clara County leaders have managed to approve a $12.5 billion budget that closes a massive deficit. But their problems will only mount in the coming year. The budget — which the Board of Supervisors approved unanimously earlier this month — cuts a total of 222 vacant and filled county jobs and reduces public health...
Santa Clara County will offer short-term relief to family caregivers
One of the first times San Jose resident Raquel Green met her husband, Carlyle, he was lying on his side at a festival, smoking a cigarette and trying to act cool. She was 19 and not easily impressed, but when he dropped the cigarette accidentally and got embarrassed, they both burst out laughing. Married for...
Santa Clara County proposes faster approval for backyard homes
“Backyard homes” are about to get easier and faster to build for residents living in unincorporated Santa Clara County. The Board of Supervisors on Tuesday unanimously signed off on providing residents within its jurisdiction two sets of pre-approved plans for building accessory dwelling units (ADUs), also known as granny flats or in-law units, on their...
Santa Clara County explores ranked choice voting
Santa Clara County leaders this year may move forward with overhauling how they’re elected with a system called ranked choice voting. The Board of Supervisors could discuss adopting the system in August. The change would rid the county supervisors, district attorney, sheriff and assessor of the need for primary elections that see low voter turnout,...
Sunnyvale shelter gets new management, service model
A county-owned, 145-bed homeless shelter in Sunnyvale is changing operators and the community it serves. The Bill Wilson Center will become the new homeless service provider for the Sunnyvale Shelter starting in July, after receiving unanimous approval on May 21 on a potential $5 million contract from the Santa Clara County Board of Supervisors. County...
Santa Clara County open to Tasers despite drop in uses of force
Santa Clara County leaders may equip sheriff’s deputies with Tasers as uses of force trend downward. The Board of Supervisors on Tuesday voted 4-1 — with President Susan Ellenberg opposed — to explore implementing Tasers for deputies at a smaller scale than Sheriff Bob Jonsen originally requested. After an hour of public comment in which...
Santa Clara County struggles to improve internet in underserved areas
County officials want to provide broadband internet service in underserved neighborhoods, contrary to a long-awaited report that dismisses the idea. The digital equity study, which they commissioned two years ago, warned the Santa Clara County Board of Supervisors against the steep cost of building an underground fiber network and instead suggested partnering with the private...
Santa Clara County closes deficit but can’t escape budget cuts
Santa Clara County officials are bridging a massive deficit through an infusion of new revenue and realigned costs to balance the upcoming fiscal year’s $12.4 billion budget. But it will still require painful cuts. The county’s May 1 budget proposal manages to close half of its $250 million gap through several tactics. One is the...