Politics

The loss of a beloved tax deduction for South County homeowners is at stake, as Congress looks to make tough calls on how to decrease its federal deficit.

A massive discharge of raw sewage into Llagas Creek in San Martin earlier this month is under state investigation and could mean hefty fines levied against the City of Morgan Hill, according to the state agency that oversees water quality.

Two new police officers for the Gilroy Police Department, Adam Moon and Raul Razo, will be introduced at the Sept. 16 City Council meeting.

Two initiatives on Tuesday's statewide ballot address the

What began as a way to draw attention to a flagging downtown district, a virtual group on social media has become a bit player in Gilroy’s local elections this year, securing a community award in the process.

It's already hard enough to boogie downtown, so giving police

A gun shop and an outdoor plaza might bring some big changes downtown. The firearms shop is considering moving to the Pinnacle building on Monterey Road, the first storefront for firearms since Walmart stopped carrying them. Right now there are eight dealers with permits to sell weapons out of their homes and one of them has appeared before city staff to see what would be needed to rent the downtown space.“If it’s done right, fine,” said Mayor Perry Woodward. “It’s just another retail use. We’re still a rural community in many ways and fishing and hunting are popular here. If you come back and tell me it’s all assault rifles, I might have a different point of view. If it’s done responsibly and within in the law, it serves a need.”Woodward got to talk about his real dream for downtown Monday for the first time, because he sold a property he owned there that kept him from voting on downtown issues. He wants to knock down the former billiards hall and put a public plaza there with trees, a stage and benches. It would be a place for the community to come together for activities, after which they would shop in businesses catering to them.“I want to see the day when people in Morgan Hill say they wish they had a downtown like Gilroy’s,” he said. It would require the city to buy the building and the one behind it and knock them down. The billiards hall is now slated to house the Community Media Access Partnership television station now housed at Christopher High  and a computer center for people to study and use desktops.John Russell, of Rally Round Downtown Gilroy, said he would be happy with a gun shop or any retail, "as long as it's not another salon or piñata shop."

Santa Clara County voters can begin casting their ballots Oct. 6 for the Nov. 4 statewide special election. The short ballot includes choices for California Proposition 50, as well as a county sales tax measure and the assessor’s race.  The County Registrar of Voters has...

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