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Santa Clara County Government News



San Jose Inside logo LOCAL NEWS
Silicon Valley Power Launches EV Charging Assistance Program for Multifamily Housing, Schools

The program launched by the electric utility owned and operated by the City of Santa Clara will help multifamily properties, schools, and businesses successfully plan, fund and install EV charging stations.

Gilroy Dispatch logo LOCAL NEWS
Volunteers Sought for Civil Grand Jury

Presiding Judge Theodore C. Zayner announced that the Superior Court of California, County of Santa Clara is seeking volunteers to serve on the 2023 Civil Grand Jury. The Civil Grand Jury is an independent body that is convened on an …

San Jose Inside logo LOCAL NEWS
County Physicians Say Working Conditions Are Causing ‘Moral Injuries’

Short staffing, heavy patient workloads and other conditions lead to dangerous “moral injury” occurrences in the county’s health and hospital system, doctors say.

Image caption: Bernadette Moordigian in front of the Fresno City College library on July 5, 2022.
A New State Agency Aims to Fix Rising Health Care Costs

For years, consumer advocates and some legislators have been battling to rein in escalating health care costs. Now the state has created a new agency to limit future growth in health care costs — and it will have the power …

San Jose Inside logo LOCAL NEWS
Santa Clara County Seeks Applicants for 2023 Civil Grand Jury

The grand jury serves as the county's civil watchdog agency and may examine all aspects of county and city government, special districts and school districts, according to the announcement.

Los Gatan logo LOCAL NEWS
US Rep. Anna Eshoo: LG in Line For Millions of Federal Dollars

Anna G. Eshoo, Los Gatos' voice in the House of Representatives, said yesterday the community is in line for millions of dollars for local projects, after they made the cut as part of $21.4 million in federal funds that could …

Image caption: Republican lawmakers stand outside the California Capitol behind traffic cones creating the numeral "100."
Get Ready For Another Gas Tax Increase

July 1 is shaping up to be a big day for California. That's when the Golden State's sky-high gas prices are set to tick up even more due to a scheduled increase to the excise tax rate, which will tack …

San Jose Inside logo LOCAL NEWS
Explosive Device Found Near Home of SJ City Councilmember

Dev Davis has been a council member since 2016.

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You Could Be a Joint Homeowner–With the State

Much has been made about the persistent disagreement between Gov. Gavin Newsom and state lawmakers over how to put money back in the pockets of Californians reeling from high gas prices and the rising cost of living, but what about …

San Jose Inside logo LOCAL NEWS
Zoe Lofgren Is Center Stage at Jan. 6 Committee’s Second Day of Televised Hearings

Lofgren, a member of the Jan. 6 committee, also is a member of the House Judiciary Committe and was a manager of the impeachment proceedings against former President Donald Trump.

Image caption: Lawmakers on the Assembly floor in the California Capitol.
Newsom Wary of Lawmaker-Approved Budget

Depending on whom you ask, the $300-billion-plus budget bill California lawmakers passed on Monday either was developed largely behind closed doors, ignores the state's biggest problems and fails to provide urgent relief amid skyrocketing inflation — or offered ample opportunity …

San Jose Inside logo LOCAL NEWS
Feds Give More than $8M to San José for Rail Crossing Safety

Awards from the Federal Railroad Administration will be used for improvements along Monterey Road and Bascom Avenue.

San Jose Inside logo LOCAL NEWS
San Jose Employees Accused of Serious Crimes to Be Placed on Leave Immediately

New policy says allegations of sexual misconduct, assault or battery, theft or bribery by a city employee will result in immediate administrative leave until a preliminary investigation is complete.

Gilroy Dispatch logo LOCAL NEWS
Finances, Family Ties Debated as Council Doles Out Funding

The Gilroy City Council agreed to allocate federal grant funds to a variety of nonprofit organizations May 16. But it took multiple meetings to come to that decision after a few members not only questioned how the nonprofits will use …

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Inside One of the Capitol’s Most Secretive Processes

The suspense file allows lawmakers to shelve proposals that are too expensive. It also allows them to silently euthanize those that are controversial, opposed by powerful interest groups, or politically inconvenient.

Morgan Hill Times logo LOCAL NEWS
Under Court Order, City Council Nixes District Map

The Morgan Hill City Council this week finally selected a new district map that legal and demographic experts agree complies with state and federal laws. The council met May 18 to consider a new redistricting map, pursuant to a Santa …

Image caption: Tesla Supercharger pump station at the Westminster Mall parking lot in Westminster, CA..
Walters: Electric Car Nirvana Collides With Reality

Gov. Gavin Newsom and the Air Resources Board are boasting about California's shift to zero-emission vehicles but the reality of making it happen is daunting.

Morgan Hill Times logo LOCAL NEWS
Judge Strikes Down Morgan Hill Council District Map

A Santa Clara County Superior Court judge has struck down an electoral redistricting map selected by the Morgan Hill City Council earlier this year, and ordered the body to choose a new map that complies with the law. Judge Julie …

Los Gatan logo LOCAL NEWS
Los Gatos accuses Santa Clara County of fraud in $5.5M lawsuit

The Town of Los Gatos filed a lawsuit against the County of Santa Clara earlier this month, claiming fraud, breach of contract and negligence, and is seeking more than $5.5 million in damages. At the heart of the case is …

Gilroy Dispatch logo LOCAL NEWS
Gilroy breaks down downtown grant funds

Does it cost $12,000 to put on a ribbon-cutting event? Theoretically it could, but it’s not going to happen, according to City Administrator Jimmy Forbis. Days after the City of Gilroy announced it had received a $3.9 million grant from …

Featured

California's sprawling public education system encompasses approximately 10,500 schools.
California’s Education System: How the Bureaucracy Works
How California's extensive public school system is organized and managed, explained.
States have expansive powers to protect the health of the general public.
The State’s Broad Power to Protect Public Health, Explained
Since long before the COVID-19 pandemic, states have possessed broad authority to protect public health.
RCDs look after the land, whether it’s used for grazing, growing, or getting out into nature.
California Dirt
RCDs were created to avoid a repeat of the Dust Bowl. Now they work with landowners to preserve the air, water and natural habitats that sustain us all.
Mosquitos kill about 725,000 people every year, worldwide.
Taking a Bite Out of the Mosquito Population
How local government tries to control the world’s deadliest wild animal—the mosquito.
There are more than 300 community service districts in California.
Community Services Districts, Explained
Areas that the county overlooks can form their own local governments.
California continues to work on legislation that would make voting easier.
Voting Rites
And more bills are on the way to help you make your mark on Election Day.
Over two weekends last October, residents of Santa Cruz and Watsonville  participated in demonstration rides aboard an electric streetcar on rails.
The ‘Rail Trail’ Movement, Explained
The heated controversy over what to do with abandoned railroad tracks
California transportation history runs from railroads to today’s car culture.
California’s History of Transportation: From Railroads to Highways
The history of transportation in California has shaped the state, from the earliest stagecoach to today’s car culture.
The California mental health crisis is tied to both homelessness and rising crime.
UPDATE: California’s Mental Health Crisis: How We Got Here
The making of Gov. Newsom's plan to help get mentally ill Californians into treatment.
Moss Landing in Monterey Bay is the world’s largest battery storage facility for solar and other renewable energy.
Solar Power and California’s Clean Energy Goals
How the sun is helping push the state toward 100 percent renewable energy.
Owning homes is the primary way the middle class builds wealth, and an option no longer available to most Californians.
Is California’s Housing Crisis Making Inequality Worse?
California has some of the worst economic inequality in the United States. Is housing a cause? Could it be a cure?
The California Supreme Court has defined the state’s legal and political agenda for more than 170 years.
How the California Supreme Court Blazes Legal Trails
From its beginnings in the Gold Rush, the state Supreme Court continues to define the state today.
Zoning laws tell you what you can and can't build on the property you own. How does government get away with that?
How Zoning Laws Shape California and Society
Zoning is everywhere, but is it a way to regulate development or a tool for social engineering?
How California reclamation districts turned millions of acres of wetlands into fertile agricultural land, starting in the earliest days of the Gold Rush.
Reclamation Districts: Turning ‘Swamps’ Into Farmland
From its earliest days as a state, California has been trying to turn marshes into productive land.
Since the Gold Rush era, land reclamation has cost California 90 percent of its wetlands.
How Land Reclamation Hurts California’s Environment
The hidden price tag of “reclaiming” swamps and marshes as usable land.
The Pajaro River levee broke during the 2023 atmospheric river storms, flooding the town of Pajaro.
Is California Ready for More Extreme Weather Driven by Climate Change?
Increasingly extreme weather events are already testing California’s preparedness.
Since 1972, the California Coastal Commission has ruled over the state’s shoreline.
California Coastal Commission: Where It Comes From, What It Does
How a nuclear plant, a real estate development and an oil spill led to a landmark law.
Translated from the Greek, “Democracy” means “people power.” How much power do the people have in California?
People Power! What Is Democracy, and How Does It Work in California?
The Goddess of Democracy is alive and well in California, but that hasn’t always been true.
Long-duration energy storage, such as this thermal energy storage facility, allows renewable energy sources to operate at full capacity without overloading the power grid.
How California Leads the Race For Long Duration Energy Storage
For renewable energy sources such as solar and wind to be viable, ways to store the power they create are essential.
The Baldwin Hills area in South Los Angeles is one region where a state conservancy would keep open land accessible to the public.
California’s 10 State Conservancies: How They Protect Parks and Open Land
Starting in 1976, the legislature began creating agencies to buy up open land, and keep it open.
California has a goal of 6 million heat pumps cooling and heating buildings by 2030.
6 Million New Heat Pumps: Essential to California's Climate Future
Installing 6 million heat pumps by 2030 is essential if California is to reach its goal of net zero carbon emissions.
Does California’s signature environmental law protect the state’s scenic beauty, or cause more problems than it solves?
CEQA: The Surprising Story of CA’s Key Environmental Law
54-year-old environmental law is often blamed for causing the state’s housing crisis. Is it getting a bad rap?
The 1965 law known as the Williamson Act has been responsible for keeping about half of California's farmland out of the hands of developers.
The Williamson Act: How the Law That Protects California’s Farmland Works
More than half of California farmland is under contracts that prevent its development.
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