Political news, Local politics and government news reporting in Santa Clara and Sunnyvale.
Santa Clara will get another massive housing development. At its most recent meeting, March 25, the Santa Clara City Council unanimously approved adding nearly 1,800 apartments to its housing stock. The Irvine Company development, located at 2518 Mission College Blvd., will feature a large swath of below-market-rate apartments. In addition to 75 apartments listed as … Read more
Begrudgingly, the Sunnyvale City Council approved a program that aims to encourage more retail in the city’s northside town centers, but many worried it will create a food desert. At its most recent meeting March 18, the council unanimously approved a program that allows developers to skirt below-market-rate housing requirements if they include higher levels … Read more
The chief electric utility officer for Santa Clara is headed to San Jose. The City of San Jose announced on March 17 that Manuel Pineda will join San Jose as the Deputy City Manager. “We wish Mr. Pineda well as he takes a new step in his career,” City Manager Jovan Grogan told The Weekly. … Read more
When Wendy Williams was just 12 years old, Richard Farley gunned down her half-brother – shooting him in the head with a Benelli riot configuration shotgun. Although that was more than 37 years ago, the trauma sent shockwaves through her life, some of which still linger today. “I had a lot of anger issues growing up. … Read more
On March 19, the City of Sunnyvale announced the retirement of the Department of Public Safety (DPS) Chief Phan Ngo after serving as chief since 2017. Ngo will retire at the end of April with 36 years of dedicated public safety experience. The City will conduct a nationwide recruitment to find his replacement. “Our City … Read more
Former Santa Clara City Council Member Anthony Becker will be in court later this week for sentencing in his perjury case. Becker was convicted of felony perjury and violation of duty, a misdemeanor, on Dec. 5, 2024. In a court filing in January, District Attorney Jeff Rosen asked the court to sentence Becker to “significant” … Read more
Not only does Santa Clara pay its police the second-highest average salary in the state, it has also been offering its utility employees increasingly cushy salaries. While Silicon Valley Power (SVP) only added 29 employees from 2015 to 2023, it doubled its payroll over the same period. This trend mirrors citywide spending. In 2015, SVP paid its 178 … Read more
It has been almost two years since the Santa Clara BMX track had its sanction yanked, and there are still no plans to relocate a public recreation many have called a “crowning jewel” of the city. In the spring of 2022, the situation drew lines in the sand, sparking public outcry from riders. The Police … Read more
The Santa Clara Stadium Authority (SCSA) approved its annual budget — with the exception of a hefty line item for previously contested office space. After a study session where $620,000 for office space rental for the Forty-Niners Management Company (ManCo) — the entity that manages non-NFL events for the stadium authority — was at issue, … Read more
Sunnyvale has increased how much money displaced renters will get if evicted. At its last meeting Feb. 25, the Sunnyvale City Council approved upping no-fault, just-cause evictions from two months rent to three months rent. “A large part of what we want to do is to make it so that people will stay housed,” said … Read more