In a region that speaks roughly 100 languages, non-English speakers often find themselves unable to follow Santa Clara County government meetings. That might finally change. The problem was on painful display last week, when the $11 billion agency had no one on hand to simultaneously interpret the April 16 Board of Supervisors discussion about the closure of East San Jose’s only trauma unit at Regional Medical Center. The hospital has been a lifeline for uninsured Latino residents on the east side, many of whom only speak Spanish. At the meeting, county doctors and hospital leaders only spoke ..read more

A looming budget shortfall in San Jose means looming threats of layoffs at City Hall. San Jose is facing a nearly $52.1 million shortfall this year and will have to find ways to cut costs while preserving city services. City officials have been clear that cutting vacant positions will be part of the approach. What hasn’t been clear is whether some filled position will be cut. Carolina Camarena, spokesperson for the city manager’s office, said the city has a number of strategies to bring San Jose’s budget into structural alignment. “Some of these strategies include the expiration of (tempo ..read more

The U.S. TikTok ban is raising questions about the app’s future in San Jose, where its Chinese parent company, Bytedance, is expanding its office space. President Joe Biden signed the ban into law on Wednesday, claiming national security risks, which would prohibit the downloading of TikTok from app stores if Bytedance doesn’t sell the app within nine months. Since 2022, the company has subleased more than 658,000 square feet of office space from Yahoo on Coleman Avenue in North San Jose, near San Jose Mineta International Airport, and expanded its footprint in March into the Roku building nex ..read more

The recount to replace Rep. Anna Eshoo’s congressional seat is coming to a close, but it will still be days before results are finalized. Santa Clara County, which represents 80% of Congressional District 16, is almost done rescanning all of its ballots. San Mateo County completed its rescanning on Wednesday. Still, dozens of challenged ballots are awaiting review to see if they’ll be added to the final count. On April 15, Santa Clara and San Mateo counties started recounting the more than 182,000 votes cast, and it will likely be another week until the count is complete. Former San Jose Mayor ..read more

A quiet neighborhood just off bustling Los Gatos Boulevard could be forever changed if a massive housing project comes to fruition. Benedict Lane residents voiced concerns at a Los Gatos Town Council meeting earlier this month about the height of a proposed seven-story housing development that would abut against their backyards. The project is in the early stage and includes about 238 apartments, of which 47 would be affordable, and two parking levels with one underground. The development could replace a portion of New Town Shopping Center if it makes it through the town processes. S ..read more

Sunnyvale officials may have found a new source of revenue, with a green light from residents to place a proposed tax measure on the November ballot. A city survey collected responses from 444 Sunnyvale voters, 63% of whom supported a possible property transfer tax measure after hearing the pros and cons. The details in the poll mirror a 2022 proposal to add a 0.75% tax on all property transfers of $4 million or more. The poll had a 4.9% margin of error. City officials have been considering a real property transfer tax for the November ballot since last December, when Mayor Larry Klein and Cou ..read more

Dozens of affordable homes near Sunnyvale’s downtown are ready to welcome hundreds of residents. City officials celebrated the opening of Meridian Apartments on Tuesday. The 1.44-acre all-affordable 89-home project is a mix of apartments — from studios to three-bedrooms — and seven townhouses located within walking distance of the city’s downtown and Caltrain station. Rents range from $1,515 to $1,827 a month for a studio, up to $2,227 to $3,619 for a three-bedroom apartment. Developer Related California, the Santa Clara County Housing Authority, the county’s Office of Supportive Housing, Goog ..read more

A pedestrian attacked San Jose Mayor Matt Mahan’s security detail after a verbal altercation turned physical. The altercation occurred on Tuesday around 6 p.m. while Mahan gave an on camera interview with KRON4 after attending a restaurant opening near South First and East San Fernando streets in downtown. Video of the incident shows a man on the phone speaking loudly and becoming angry after being told he’s interrupting an interview. The pedestrian then threatens to slap Mahan’s security guard — a San Jose police officer who was dressed in a suit — and punches the guard’s head. The mayor was ..read more

Santa Clara County is experiencing a surge of domestic violence cases, spreading county prosecutors thin and holding up court hearings at a time when a looming budget deficit will cut District Attorney resources. The DA’s office has pulled prosecutors from other teams to handle a 142% increase in family violence cases over the last five years, from 76 cases per prosecutor in 2019 to 184 per prosecutor in 2023. The challenges are colliding with a post-pandemic drop in courtroom capacity and a rise in survivors seeking help after being pent-up in households during lockdown. T ..read more

The new leader of a once-powerful San Jose business group is determined to rebuild the organization after years of controversy. Bay Area native Leah Toeniskoetter began her role as CEO of the San Jose Chamber of Commerce in January. She is the third CEO in roughly three years — a result of the fallout from its checkered past. Her predecessor, Derrick Seaver, resigned last August for a high school teaching job in Oakland. The chamber, renamed from the Silicon Valley Organization in 2021, dissolved its political action committee (PAC) in 2020 after backlash for racist political ads. Th ..read more