Politics

Santa Clara County Executive James R. Williams released a recommended fiscal year 2026-27 budget on May 1 that proposes $14.7 billion in spending while confronting unprecedented federal funding cuts, according to county staff. The recommended budget aims to prioritize essential services and protect the...

Santa Clara County voters will decide June 2 whether to approve a parcel tax that would generate an estimated $17 million annually for the Santa Clara Valley Open Space Authority, funding wildfire risk reduction, water protection and open space conservation across the region. Measure D...

The Santa Clara County Registrar of Voters' Office has begun mailing County Voter Information Guides to all active registered voters for the June 2 Statewide Direct Primary Election.   The guide provides information on the candidates and measures on the ballot, along with Vote Center locations,...

Congregation Emeth in Morgan Hill will host Dr. Jeffrey Blutinger, a professor at California State University, Long Beach, to give a presentation on the history of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. The presentation will take place 2:30-4:30pm. Congregation Emeth is located at 17835 Monterey Road.  The presentation...

The City of Gilroy issued only 37 residential building permits in 2025, but sizable new housing projects proposed or “in the pipeline” over the next few years will help the city move closer to its long-term state-mandated numbers. That was one message delivered by city...

With gas prices soaring, the Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority (VTA) is urging residents to consider public transit as an affordable and eco-friendly alternative to driving. A single ride on VTA costs $2.50 for adults, $1.25 for students, and $1.00 for seniors. Riders can pay...

An update to California’s Ralph M. Brown Act—which ensures that local government meetings are open to the public—requires Gilroy and other cities to offer remote participation options as well as translation and inclusivity for the public.  To comply with the legislature’s new requirements, in a...

City of Gilroy staff and San Jose Sharks officials will meet soon to talk about how to proceed with the 100,000-square-foot Sharks Ice Gilroy project in the face of rapidly increasing construction costs.  Representatives from the two parties will meet March 6 as negotiations continue...

Congresswoman Zoe Lofgren (CA-18) will attend President Donald Trump’s State of the Union address on Feb. 24 with guest Lupe Lopez, co-founder of Gilroy-based Arteaga’s Food Center. “Today marks Trump’s 400th day in office, and it has been 400 days of disaster for the American...

Gilroy officials are considering asking the voters to approve an increase of the city’s transient occupancy tax—commonly referred to as the hotel tax—up to a total of 13% of visitors’ short-term lodging rentals.  The current hotel tax rate in Gilroy is 9%, which officials noted...