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Dear Neighbor,
2026 is here.
We’ve been planning, talking and fundraising for the last 3 years. As I was reflecting on all that’s gone into this event, I looked back at our newsletter from May of 2023.
I had just taken office as your mayor, and in that newsletter, we first announced and discussed the fact that San José would help the region host two of the largest sporting events in the world: Super Bowl and World Cup.
It’s funny — so much has changed since then, but our goals remain the same. Our plan is close to execution, and our city is ready to activate.
Back then, I shared that the last time Levi’s Stadium hosted the Super Bowl, the event generated over $240 million in economic impact, but San José only captured 12% of the total. I told you all that we can and would do better. That we would capitalize on this experience for our small businesses, for our residents, and for the many people visiting San José for the very first time. That we would bring the action directly to our Downtown.
Three years later, we are a month away from that vision becoming a reality. And I have no doubt that 2026 will blow 2016 out of the water.
Our goal all along has been to ensure that this year isn’t just fun for visitors and a strain on our communities. We want to make sure that even if you don’t have a ticket to the big game, you can be a part of the action. That you can feel the energy in your city and be proud of the place you call home.
To that end, we have national headliners choosing to play right outside City Hall. We have a massive block party circling San Pedro Square that will show off the innovation of our region with holograms and flying cars. We have a sports initiative launching next week that will bring our biggest teams together to coach our youngest residents. We’ll have drone shows, projection art and wayfinding via a mobile app.
For us, none of this just happens. The leagues and their big sponsors are putting most of their official programming in SF, as they always do, but we decided three years ago to take control of our own destiny. The only official event we have next month is the NFL’s Opening Night the Monday before the big game. But what we do have is an incredible community — people with creativity, vision and hard work who believe in what San José can be.
Part of that team is the funders who made these events possible. Devcon, Adobe, eBay, Cisco, Google and so many other local and global business leaders came together to bet big on our city.
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I’m grateful to the private sector partners who are making San José’s fan experience possible. These are community leaders who see what our region is and can become. People who know we’re the safest big city in the nation. People who know we’re reducing unsheltered homelessness faster than any other big city in California. People who know that what is holding us back is at least partly perception.
Perception that San José is a bedroom community, or a suburb of SF. I like to tease my colleagues around the Bay that one day we'll be known as the San José Bay Area. And I’m only half joking. We have the scale, the land, the pragmatism, the creativity, the sense of community, and the will to power this region into the future. To define what the Bay Area becomes in the Twenty-First Century.
At our State of the City last May, I said that San José was a city on the cusp. And it’s years like this that will take us over the edge. It’s our job to make sure that progress lasts beyond 2026.
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America has an economic inequality problem. That’s obvious — especially here in California.
But the definition of insanity is trying the same thing again and again, expecting a different result. And when it comes to a wealth tax — it’s been tried and it’s failed many times. At least nine times in nine different countries, a majority of which ironically saw a decline in their overall tax revenue.
Sadly, we’re already seeing this pattern play out in California. Just the threat of a state-level wealth tax has already caused a number of the state’s largest taxpayers to relocate to other states, meaning that ultimately the rest of us will be asked to foot more of the bill for California’s public services and infrastructure.
This proposal may feel good in the moment, but we should be more interested in figuring out what works in practice. We should do the hard things that will make everyone better off in the long run.
Things like closing tax loopholes that allow the richest among us to avoid ever paying capital gains, including the ability to borrow vast sums of money against unrealized gains.
Things like rooting out waste and fraud in every level of government (fraudulent unemployment claims alone cost Californians over $20 billion in the last five years).
Things like acknowledging that many of the biggest impediments to economic opportunity for working and middle class families are failures of our current public policies, from the barriers we’ve thrown up to building new housing to the regulations that have driven up the cost of construction, energy, and much more in our state.
Read more of my thoughts on the wealth tax debate here.
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Before Silvia and I have guests, we spend some time making sure our house is looking its best.
Next month, our city will host tens of thousands of people during Super Bowl Week. And we’ll need more than a few minutes to prepare. Over the coming weeks we’ll be doubling down on our community clean-ups to make sure we put our best face forward. Will you help us be good hosts?
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Clean-Up Dates
- Saturday, January 17th | San Fernando
- Saturday, January 24th | Julian
- Saturday, January 31st | St Leo’s
- Saturday, February 7th | Plaza de Cesar Chavez
- Saturday, February 14th | Woz Way
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Everyone can create: Let’s Make Movie Posters
Friday, January 16th
Seven Trees Library, 3590 Cas Dr, San Jose, CA 95111
Join SJPL for a creation session and learn the basics of color theory, study iconic movie posters, and bring your ideas to life by designing your very own poster. Whether you're into design, film, or just love making cool stuff, this workshop is a fun and inspiring way to build your skills and express yourself! Learn more here.
Wanda Sykes: Please & Thank You Tour
Friday, January 16th
Center for the Performing Arts, 255 Almaden Blvd., San Jose, CA 95113
Wanda Sykes is an Emmy winning stand-up comic, writer, actress and producer who has been entertaining audiences for more than years. She has ranked among Entertainment Weekly‘s “25 Funniest People in America”, and her peers have called her “one of the funniest stand-up comics” in the field. Grab tickets to her upcoming tour here.
The Wiz Broadway San Jose
Tuesday January 27th to Sunday February 1st
Center for the Performing Arts, 255 Almaden Blvd., San Jose, CA 95113
The Tony Award-winning Best Musical that took the world by storm is back. The Wiz returns “home” to stages across America in an all-new Broadway tour. This groundbreaking twist on The Wizard of Oz changed the face of Broadway — from its iconic score packed with soul, gospel, rock, and ’70s funk to its stirring tale of Dorothy’s journey to find her place in a contemporary world. Find more information here.
Candlelight: 90s Concert
Friday, January 23rd
Corinthian Grand Ballroom, 196 N 3rd St, San Jose, CA 95112
Candlelight concerts bring the magic of a live, multi-sensory musical experience to awe-inspiring locations like never seen before in San Jose. Get your tickets now to discover the music of 90s Unplugged at Corinthian Grand Ballroom under the gentle glow of candlelight.
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Happy New Year, San José!
I want to pause and say thank you to the people who made all of it possible — starting with you.
Last year, thousands of residents showed up for San José. Whether you volunteered at a service project, joined us at State of the City, or stopped by a Dumpster Day in your neighborhood — thank you. You gave your time, rolled up your sleeves, and served this city alongside your neighbors. For that, I’m deeply grateful.
Now, the people who serve you. Thousands of city workers, including the people on my team, work tirelessly to meet the needs of all one million San José residents each day. From SJPD and SJFD keeping us safe, to PRNS keeping our public spaces clean, DOT maintaining our roads, Public Works caring for our infrastructure, SJPL inspiring the next generation and so many other departments working in tandem to create the change we need.
City workers don’t get thanked enough, and the work they do is essential. If you see a city employee out in the community — a librarian, a park ranger, a firefighter, a police officer — take a moment to shake their hand and thank them.
Because without them — and without all of you — none of our progress would be possible. San José is a special place because of the people who live and work here. Thank you for choosing this city, like my family and I have. And thank you to Silvia for your unconditional support and making this journey in civic life as fun and meaningful as it is. Here’s to another year of progress ahead of us!
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