Political news, Local politics and government news reporting in Santa Clara and Sunnyvale.
A massive manufacturing development in Sunnyvale will see a few changes following a contract amendment by the Sunnyvale City Council. Intuitive Surgical, Inc. — a surgical robotics manufacturer headquartered in Sunnyvale — plans to build a 358,000 square foot building as half of a new campus. The development straddles the border of Sunnyvale and Santa … Read more
Despite pressure from the court, there appears to be no settlement in the perjury trial of Santa Clara City Council Member Anthony Becker. On Aug. 30, Judge Benjamin Williams asked both sides if they had come to a settlement. Deputy District Attorney Jason Malinsky was quick to say there was no settlement and this case … Read more
The Santa Clara City Council unanimously approved plans for a new data center on Bowers Avenue during its Tuesday night meeting, ignoring a recommendation from the Planning Commission in the process. During the presentation by city staff about the project at 2805 Bowers Ave., Reena Brilliot, Santa Clara’s acting Director of Community Development, downplayed the … Read more
A seemingly routine informational report about two marquee events at Levi’s Stadium became a bit of a to do at the Santa Clara City Council’s most recent meeting. In 2026, Levi’s Stadium will play host to six FIFA World Cup soccer games as well as the Super Bowl. During an informational report Tuesday night, city … Read more
A Santa Clara City Council candidate’s former employer is accusing him of colluding with a vendor to fleece the company out of $250,000. David Kertes is running for District 5, currently represented by Council Member Suds Jain. In early July, a Florida court ordered Kertes to appear via Zoom in a case involving his former … Read more
Back in the 1950s the City of Santa Clara was growing at an exponential rate. In 1950, its population was 11,702 but by 1960, its population was nearly 60,000, a five-fold increase. Facing these exploding needs, the city council began considering a bond in the summer of 1959. Originally, two bond issues were considered — … Read more
The continuing growth of Silicon Valley Power (SVP) dominated the Santa Clara City Council meeting. At its first meeting in a month, the council considered three items, all relating to SVP. The first was a simple update. The second dealt with adding new positions to keep up with continued growth. The third involved securing energy … Read more
Santa Clara City Council Member Anthony Becker’s attorneys continue to try and shape a defense to the perjury charges leveled against their client. In doing so, the Public Defender’s Office has set its sights on what happened inside the District Attorney’s Office in August 2020. In a motion filed in court last week and heard … Read more
A former ethics consultant for Santa Clara is calling for council candidates to sign an ethics pledge. But there is a problem. Two incumbent council members say the demand is a political ploy. One even went so far as to call it “McCarthyism” masquerading as ethics. The consultant, Tom Shanks, has been stridently critical of … Read more
At its most recent Sunnyvale City Council meeting, the Council approved two development projects for below-market-rate housing and agreed to a contract with WeHOPE to expand homeless services offered by the city. Nearly $30 million in developer fees will fund 600 below-market-rate apartments in Sunnyvale. At its Tuesday night meeting, the Sunnyvale City Council approved … Read more