County of Santa Clara Government News Digest

The owners of Mountain Winery are seeking to develop a boutique hotel and 255 units of housing on the Saratoga property.

Plans for redeveloping the park at 3980 El Camino Real in Palo Alto calls for dividing the park into two sections, with a proposed a61-unit apartment building in one and coaches and RVs in the other.

In the largest independent expenditure to the Santa Clara County Board of Supervisors race so far, the California Apartment Association threw its weight behind District 5 candidate Margaret Abe-Koga.

The Santa Clara County Board of Supervisors selected Eden Housing to develop affordable housing for teachers in the West Valley. It will be built in Cupertino on a property currently owned by Apple.

The Santa Clara County Board of Supervisors voted to make the Saratoga Library an official passport facility, part of a broader effort to offer passport services at the Milpitas, Cupertino and Los Altos libraries.

A new poll funded by a pro-business political action committee shows two Vietnamese American candidates as the frontrunners for the Santa Clara County Board of Supervisors District 2 seat.

Campaign financial statements show where the five candidates are receiving support, as well as their strategies for raising money and getting their message out to voters.

Susan Ellenberg, president of the Santa Clara County Board of Supervisors, will give her annual assessment of the region's health and what she sees for 2024, touching on key issues such as safety and the budget deficit.

Just weeks after a deal fell through to buy the Richmond Ranch for development, county leaders are moving forward with turning the open space into a massive park.

County leaders may limit how much money they give to nonprofit groups and projects serving low-income neighborhoods in light of looming budget challenges.

A yearslong debate over whether the 49ers should be allowed a multimillion-dollar property tax break for Levi’s Stadium has come to a close.

Little Saigon may be on the precipice of electing its first-ever Vietnamese American to the Santa Clara County Board of Supervisors, and a potential key voice in decisions on social services and law enforcement spending.

A historic race for the District 2 seat on the Santa Clara County Board of Supervisors may shape how residents in East San Jose vote in the March primary, with two local Vietnamese leaders vying for the job.

The most prominent California leaders at the national stage have either retired, died or stepped back — opening the door for a new generation of leadership to emerge. Rep. Ro Khanna appears to be at the forefront of that movement.

Santa Clara Unified rang in 2024 with a gold star on their audit but with some unhappy youth sports groups as they passed new facility rental fees.

Neurologist Dr. Peter Fung wants to parlay his years of health care experience into a seat on the Santa Clara County Board of Supervisors and use it to improve care quality.

California Sen. Laphonza Butler is the latest national leader to voice who should represent the state's 16th congressional district — and her pick is Assemblymember Evan Low.

Los Altos City Councilmember Neysa Fligor has been selected to serve as the next president of the Cities Association of Santa Clara County. Her term will expire in December.

The legal standoff between the city of Palo Alto and a resident over gas utility rates reached its official resolution when a Santa Clara County judge approved a settlement that requires issuance of thousands of refunds.

Three of five seats on the Santa Clara County Board of Supervisors are up for election this year. Districts 2 and 5 are open contests, with current officeholders terming out, while in Districts 3 the incumbent is running unopposed.

A Santa Clara County Sheriff’s Office employee is suing the county, claiming former Sheriff Laurie Smith created a hostile work environment for her and others who participated in a corruption investigation targeting Smith.

The trio that sued Santa Clara over the text of a ballot measure on appointing the city’s police chief — Measure B — got coal in their Christmas stocking this week when Santa Clara Superior Court Judge Thomas Kuhnle denied their 11th-hour request to change the ballot text.

An employee of former Santa Clara County Sheriff Laurie Smith has filed a whistleblower lawsuit, accusing Smith of harassing and intimidating her as she served as a key witness in a probe of gun-permit corruption.

The Santa Clara County Superior Court said it launched two new policies this year on reducing unnecessary jail bookings and to improve court efficiency.

San Jose and Santa Clara County have spent decades and millions of dollars trying to end homelessness, and while some progress has been made, thousands remain on the street each night — and hundreds die each year.

A local economist startled by the staggering disparities pushing African Americans to the margins in Santa Clara County is launching a video and podcast project hoping to bring more attention to the issue.

Despite an appeal by the Santa Clara County Assessor Larry Stone, a judge has ruled that the $6 million assessment of the San Francisco 49ers’ property tax at Levi’s Stadium will stand.

Joe Simitian, a South Bay and Peninsula political stalwart, is running to succeed Anna Eshoo in Congress.

Registrar of voters offices across the Bay Area issued guidance to “No Party Preference” voters who will have to take action if they want to vote in the presidential primary contest in the March election.

The greatest challenge for someone experiencing a mental health crisis is finding immediate access to care that doesn’t involve the police. A Santa Clara County program offers this option, but it's difficult to reach.