A recent Silicon Valley school board meeting erupted into yelling, chanting and an arrest over changes to trustee elections. The Fremont Union High School District (FUHSD) board of trustees unanimously finalized the switch from “at large” to by-area trustee elections Wednesday night. Starting this November, voters will elect trustees by area to avoid a potential lawsuit for... The post Tempers flare over Silicon Valley school district map appeared first on San José Spotlight.

In Santa Clara County, 41% of women with children experiencing homelessness report violence as being the primary cause, while 39% return to an unsafe home because they have nowhere else to go. Last year the Domestic Violence Advocacy Consortium of Santa Clara County provided direct services to more than 14,000 survivors and responded to more than... The post Op-ed: Santa Clara County budget cuts threaten survivors of physical abuse appeared first on San José Spotlight.

In a region that speaks roughly 100 languages, non-English speakers often find themselves unable to follow Santa Clara County government meetings. That might finally change. The problem was on painful display last week, when the $11 billion agency had no one on hand to simultaneously interpret the April 16 Board of Supervisors discussion about the... The post Santa Clara County lacks needed translation services appeared first on San José Spotlight.

A looming budget shortfall in San Jose means looming threats of layoffs at City Hall. San Jose is facing a nearly $52.1 million shortfall this year and will have to find ways to cut costs while preserving city services. City officials have been clear that cutting vacant positions will be part of the approach. What hasn’t... The post San Jose anticipates layoffs amid budget shortfall appeared first on San José Spotlight.

The U.S. TikTok ban is raising questions about the app’s future in San Jose, where its Chinese parent company, Bytedance, is expanding its office space. President Joe Biden signed the ban into law on Wednesday, claiming national security risks, which would prohibit the downloading of TikTok from app stores if Bytedance doesn’t sell the app... The post Will TikTok leave San Jose if ban takes hold? appeared first on San José Spotlight.

The recount to replace Rep. Anna Eshoo’s congressional seat is coming to a close, but it will still be days before results are finalized. Santa Clara County, which represents 80% of Congressional District 16, is almost done rescanning all of its ballots. San Mateo County completed its rescanning on Wednesday. Still, dozens of challenged ballots are awaiting review to see if they’ll be added to the final count.

On March 15, the National Association of Realtors (NAR) announced an agreement that would end litigation of claims brought on behalf of home sellers related to broker commissions. This proposed settlement ended a series of copycat lawsuits throughout the country following an unfavorable decision in the Sitzer-Burnett class-action lawsuit. “NAR...

A quiet neighborhood just off bustling Los Gatos Boulevard could be forever changed if a massive housing project comes to fruition. Benedict Lane residents voiced concerns at a Los Gatos Town Council meeting earlier this month about the height of a proposed seven-story housing development that would abut against their backyards. The project is in the early... The post Housing development could loom over Los Gatos backyards appeared first on San José Spotlight.

Sunnyvale officials may have found a new source of revenue, with a green light from residents to place a proposed tax measure on the November ballot. A city survey collected responses from 444 Sunnyvale voters, 63% of whom supported a possible property transfer tax measure after hearing the pros and cons. The details in the poll mirror a 2022 proposal to add a 0.75% tax on all property transfers of $4 million or more. The poll had a 4.9% margin of error.

Dozens of affordable homes near Sunnyvale’s downtown are ready to welcome hundreds of residents. City officials celebrated the opening of Meridian Apartments on Tuesday. The 1.44-acre all-affordable 89-home project is a mix of apartments — from studios to three-bedrooms — and seven townhouses located within walking distance of the city’s downtown and Caltrain station. Rents range from $1,515 to $1,827 a month for a studio, up to $2,227 to $3,619 for a three-bedroom apartment.

The Congressional District 16 recount being tawdrily funded by an independent expenditure close to candidate Sam Liccardo is a huge mistake. The genesis is apparently a poll that showed Liccardo would benefit from a two-person race. As the survey hasn’t been released, we don’t know what those results show. But apparently it was concerning enough to warrant Liccardo’s friends to form a PAC and fund the recount.

A pedestrian attacked San Jose Mayor Matt Mahan’s security detail after a verbal altercation turned physical. The altercation occurred on Tuesday around 6 p.m. while Mahan gave an on camera interview with KRON4 after attending a restaurant opening near South First and East San Fernando streets in downtown. Video of the incident shows a man... The post San Jose mayor’s security injured in altercation appeared first on San José Spotlight.

Santa Clara County is experiencing a surge of domestic violence cases, spreading county prosecutors thin and holding up court hearings at a time when a looming budget deficit will cut District Attorney resources. The DA’s office has pulled prosecutors from other teams to handle a 142% increase in family violence cases over the last five... The post Domestic violence cases overwhelm Silicon Valley prosecutors appeared first on San José Spotlight.

The new leader of a once-powerful San Jose business group is determined to rebuild the organization after years of controversy. Bay Area native Leah Toeniskoetter began her role as CEO of the San Jose Chamber of Commerce in January. She is the third CEO in roughly three years — a result of the fallout from its checkered past. Her predecessor, Derrick Seaver, resigned last August for a high school teaching job in Oakland.

A homeless housing project is coming to South San Jose, and city officials want to clear the area of unsheltered encampments before it’s built. The San Jose City Council this month unanimously approved a 10-year lease for $1 annually from prolific philanthropist John A. Sobrato to construct Via del Oro, a 150-bed temporary housing development.... The post San Jose homeless housing planned for Sobrato land appeared first on San José Spotlight.

BART’s expansion through Silicon Valley is taking shape as pre-construction work gets underway in Santa Clara. VTA workers have started on-site preparations for phase two of BART’s expansion at the Newhall Maintenance Facility. That includes setting up temporary field offices, bringing in equipment and preparations to begin drilling the tunnel. The 6-mile extension, most of... The post UPDATE: Prep begins for Santa Clara BART extension appeared first on San José Spotlight.

Team San Jose was proud to host NVIDIA GTC 2024 last month. We want to thank all the partners who made our city shine for the largest convention that San Jose has seen since the pandemic and, quite possibly, the most important tech event yet. For reference, it was on par or bigger than any of the global conferences that we hosted prior to the COVID shutdown.

A week after an expensive and highly-criticized recount of ballots began in a tied congressional race, the California Secretary of State says the requester will not get his money back. Santa Clara and San Mateo counties jointly sought guidance from the state about whether the recount requester, Jonathan Padilla, would get reimbursed if the Congressional... The post Silicon Valley congressional recount can’t be refunded appeared first on San José Spotlight.

San Jose councilmembers are supposed show who they’re meeting with behind closed doors — but their public calendars lack vital details and skirt the spirit of transparency. San José Spotlight has reported on inadequate lobbyist disclosures for years, but a recent review shows the public is still in the dark due to incomplete and delayed documentation... The post San Jose officials not reporting lobbyists meetings appeared first on San José Spotlight.

Who among us has not had a late evening or early morning craving for great Mexican food? Happily, San Jose’s Jalisco Taqueria is there to serve, with a drive-thru open until 3 a.m. on Fridays and Saturdays with a wide selection of authentic dishes cooked fresh daily. “I don’t know a lot of places where... The post The Biz Beat: San Jose drive-thru serves authentic Mexican food appeared first on San José Spotlight.