Political news, Local politics and government news reporting in Santa Clara and Sunnyvale.
Roll Call All Council Members were present. Approval of Minutes The minutes from the City Council meeting of February 8 were unanimously approved. Continuance/Exceptions Approval to add an item under Reports for Council Action regarding the proposed changes to the 408 area code. This came to the Council after the agenda was published, and action … Read more
In 2009 State Controller John Chiang launched an audit of 18 California RDAs – Santa Clara wasn’t on that list, but Fremont, Hercules, Pittsburg, Richmond and San Jose were. On March 7, he issued his report. Perhaps the most surprising information – considering we’re talking about what proponents call California’s most important community and economic … Read more
At an emergency meeting Monday, the Santa Clara Redevelopment Agency (RDA) and Stadium Authority (SA) voted to transfer $4.5 million from the agency into a SF 49ers business entity called Stadco for infrastructure construction described as “predevelopment.” Santa Clara voters approved a ballot measure last June to go forward with a 49ers stadium project. The … Read more
Thanks to California’s State Controller John Chiang, Californians (at least, computer-literate ones) can, for the first time, easily find out what public employees actually earn. Just type lgcr.sco.ca.gov into your browser. You’ll see compensation information for every position in every department of every California municipal, district, county, and state agency. What’s more, the information can … Read more
On Saturday, March 12, the City Council will hold a Goal Setting Program at the Santa Clara Convention Center, 5001 Great America Parkway from 8 a.m. to 12 p.m. The purpose of the program is to review the accomplishments made on the 2009 to 2011 Council Principles and Priorities, as well as to identify on-going … Read more
In the more than seven decades that she lived in Santa Clara, there were few public questions that Santa Clara community leader Josephine Rowen didn’t make her voice heard on. But one thing she’ll always be remembered for is the landmark court case that set precedent for interpreting California’s Brown Act – the law governing … Read more
On Saturday, March 12, the City Council will hold their Goal Setting Program at the Santa Clara Convention Center, 5001 Great America Parkway from 8 a.m. to 12 p.m.. The purpose of the program is to review the accomplishments made on the 2009 to 2011 Council Principles and Priorities, as well as to identify on-going … Read more
Depending on whom you ask, Governor Jerry Brown’s plan to shutter California’s redevelopment agencies (RDAs) would return billions to local governments and schools, or stifle the economy because redevelopment is California’s most – some would say its only – significant economic development program. One attraction of redevelopment for cities is undeniable: local RDAs receive 100 … Read more
When Governor Jerry Brown unveiled his proposal to shutter the state’s 65-year old Redevelopment Agencies (RDAs), he touched a raw nerve in California politics. In 2009, California’s 425 RDAs ended the fiscal year with $5.7 billion in tax and assessment revenues, $8.1 billion in expenses, and $29.4 billion in outstanding bonds. RDAs can acquire land … Read more
In the face of Santa Clara’s ongoing budget deficit, eight of Santa Clara’s employee bargaining units have agreed to contract concessions rather than layoffs, reported City Manager Jennifer Sparacino at the Jan. 25 City Council meeting. “It’s the first time in city’s history, I believe, that we’ve had to lay off,” she said. The concessions … Read more