City of Santa Clara Government News Digest

An introduction to the 10 candidates running for open seats on the Santa Clara City Council in the November election.

The San Francisco 49ers have reportedly funded almost $1 million to political action committees focused on the Santa Clara City Council elections.

A $400 million bond to fund infrastructure upgrades and repairs in Santa Clara is advancing to the November ballot.

Findings and conclusions from the Santa Clara County Civil Grand Jury report of "irreconcilable differences" experienced by the Santa Clara City Council were disputed.

The Santa Clara County Civil Grand Jury released a report on Measure J and the City of Santa Clara's deal with the San Francisco 49ers, finding the city was "outplayed."

A ribbon-cutting ceremony was held May 8 to celebrate the opening of the 80-unit affordable Kifer Senior Apartments.

In an attempt to end five years of litigation, the 49ers made an offer of of $18M and other concessions to resolve two ongoing legal actions.

The City of Santa Clara is struggling to maintain aging infrastructure and is now facing $624 million in unfunded repairs and upgrades, according to City Manager Jovan Grogan.

The developer for the 240 acre former golf course proposed amending plans to include 1.6M square feet of light industrial space in the stalled project.

The Santa Clara Planning Commission denied a conditional use permit for a development at 2805 Bowers Avenue involving the replacement of an existing two-story building with a new four-story data center.

Proponents of Santa Clara’s Measure B have removed a series of Facebook and digital ads that wrongfully portrayed former police chiefs’ positions on the measure.

One of the biggest issues facing the city of Santa Clara on the March 5 ballot is Measure B, which would make the position of police chief appointed by the city manager instead of being an elected official.

Voters in Santa Clara will decide in March if they want to continue electing their police chief and city clerk or change the process.

For years, Santa Clara postponed needed maintenance and replacing aging facilities, and the bill now adds up to $571 million this year. It has been near this level for years, and the only thing that’s changed is that, now, everything is older.

As training for the summer Olympics is starting, Santa Clara’s International Swim Center is closed “until further notice”—until safety, health and equipment problems are resolved.

The Santa Clara City Council told homeowners and city planners to take another look at the redesign plans for a home in Santa Clara's Old Quad neighborhood.

Local leaders made it official just before the holidays, cutting the ribbon to celebrate the expansion of the SV Hopper service into South Santa Clara.

Former city manager Deanna Santana alleges that the city didn’t pay a cost of living raise she would have been entitled to in March, as well a CalPERS contribution and accruals of vacation, sick leave and management leave from March 19 through March 31.

Both cities adjust their minimum wages based on the regional consumer price index.

The Santa Clara Fire Department, in conjunction with the Firefighters Foundation, worked with the Santa Clara Unified School District to identify local families in need.

Although Santa Clara’s budget deficit has shrunk dramatically, city officials warn that new tax strategies are necessary to build up coffers.

The Santa Clara City Council voted to approve an update to the city’s zoning dode and passed a resolution to join “United Against Hate.”

The Santa Clara City Council voted to release the executive summary that was completed more than a year ago. Prior to that, only the investigator’s final findings were available to the public, not the entire summary of the investigation.

Data collected by Latinos LEAD highlights this disparity, showing that Latinos make up only 12.5% of non-profit board members in the San Jose metro area, which includes Santa Clara and Sunnyvale.

Nearly a week after the county deadline for filing ballot resolutions, opponents of appointing Santa Clara’s police chief are threatening to sue over the March 2024 ballot measure.

The Santa Clara City Council has voted to release a full investigative report into an incident during a closed session of the council in August 2022.

Santa Clara City Hall appears to be delegating enforcement of campaign reporting laws—and even its own Dark Money ordinance—to the California Fair Political Practices Commission.

Santa Clara is planning a major facelift of its 5-acre downtown after years of neglect, thanks to a determined group of residents.

In 2022, Santa Clara Vanguard’s Cadets won the Drum Corps International Championship. However, simmering below the surface was a series of missteps that have forced Vanguard to cancel its 2023 season and have left the 2024 season up in the air.

The Santa Clara City Council approved placing ballot wording for a charter amendment that would turn the police chief and city clerk positions into positions appointed by the city manager.