We’d like to highlight a special initiative created by students from Bellarmine College Prep in District 6. After meeting with the team behind this project, it’s clear they’re motivated by a genuine desire to help build a more informed community—especially when it comes to local issues. 

They’ve launched Civic Digest, a platform that publishes clear, accessible summaries of City Council meetings so residents can more easily stay informed and connected to what’s happening locally. Below is a message from the students themselves. I encourage you to check out their platform and learn more about their work. 

Keeping up with City Council shouldn't feel like a full-time job. Civic Digest is a free tool built for San José residents who want to know what's happening at City Hall and what it means for their neighborhood. We publish simple, non-partisan summaries of Council meetings so District 6 residents can stay informed about the decisions being made in their community without having to wade through hours of recordings or dense agendas. We also cover local elections, breaking down the candidates on your ballot so you can vote with confidence. Read the latest at civicdigest.org. Questions? Email us at team@civicdigest.org 

Automated License Plate Readers (ALPR) 

The Council approved updates to San José’s Automated License Plate Reader (ALPR) policies to strengthen privacy protections while continuing to support public safety. The changes shorten how long data is stored, from one year to 30 days, which was recommended by Chief of Police Paul Joseph. Other updates include stronger security requirements like multi-factor authentication and clearer documentation when outside agencies request access to the system. Cameras are also now prohibited from capturing vehicles entering or leaving sensitive locations such as houses of worship, reproductive health clinics, and consulates.  

The Council approved a memorandum I co-sponsored with my Council colleagues Councilmember Domingo Candelas (District 8), Councilmember Pamela Campos (District 2), Councilmember David Cohen (District 4), and Councilmember George Casey (District 10) to further strengthen oversight by requiring regular audit reporting to the Public Safety, Finance, and Strategic Support Committee, ensuring the Council is notified of any unauthorized data disclosures, prohibiting the use of facial recognition or biometric analysis with ALPR systems, and directing the City to explore alternative vendors and review whether ALPR data could be used to train artificial intelligence models. These updates improve transparency, accountability, and data protection while ensuring ALPR infrastructure remains in our community as a responsible tool for solving serious crimes. 

Mayor’s Budget Message 

March Budget Update for the 2026–2027 Fiscal Year 

On March 12, 2026, Mayor Matt Mahan released his March budget proposal for the 2026–2027 fiscal year. The City Manager projects a $56 million shortfall for the upcoming fiscal year and the Mayor proposes strategies to help address this gap while continuing to invest in key priorities. Council focus areas include reducing homelessness, making housing more affordable, beautifying our community, improving public safety, and general affordability. The proposal outlines continued investments and priorities that support San José residents and building on the important work already underway in partnership with community organizations.



Below is a brief overview of the Mayor’s message, followed by District 6’s response, which accepts the Mayor's message and outlines key priorities we hope to see incorporated during this budget cycle. 

Addressing Homelessness and Expanding Housing Support 

San José continues to prioritize reducing unsheltered homelessness by expanding shelter options and strengthening partnerships with local and regional agencies. Today, the City operates nearly 2,200 shelter placements across interim housing, safe parking, and safe sleeping sites—nearly 1,000 of which opened in the past year. These efforts have contributed to a significant decline in unsheltered homelessness and helped thousands of residents move indoors and access supportive services. This reflects great progress, but there is still tremendous work ahead.

The Mayor’s budget proposes the next phase of this work: improving the efficiency of the interim housing system, reducing operating costs, and helping more residents transition into permanent housing and long-term stability. Key strategies include expanding partnerships with the Santa Clara County Housing Authority, strengthening collaboration with the County on behavioral health and housing services, increasing homelessness prevention programs, and creating additional pathways to employment and self-sufficiency for residents experiencing homelessness. 

Beautifying Our Community 

San José has made significant progress in improving the appearance and cleanliness of our City. To date, crews have removed 24.4 million pounds of trash, including 14.3 million pounds from illegal dumping, and eliminated 2.5 million square feet of graffiti. The City is now exploring ways to improve response times to illegal dumping, with the goal of reducing them from 65 days to just 10 days. A key part of this effort is a shift in City culture. Through the “One Team” initiative, San José is working to move from reactive responses to proactive solutions. Enhancements to SJ311, along with expanded use by City staff, will make it easier to report and track issues in real time—helping address concerns earlier and prevent them from becoming more widespread or costly to resolve. 

Balancing the Budget 

To address the budget shortfall, the City is pursuing a mix of responsible spending reductions and new revenue streams. One proposed revenue source is a 2% increase to the Transient Occupancy Tax (TOT)—on the ballot this June—which is collected from hotel room stays. This is sometimes referred to as a visitor or bed tax. Currently, about 66% of the City’s budget is eligible for reductions. The goal is to avoid layoffs and cutting into essential services as San José is already one of the lowest City staff-to-population ratios among major U.S. cities. There is also a growing effort to improve transparency in the City budget, helping residents better understand how their tax dollars are spent. As an example, if you want to get deeper, join us for the Budget Community Town Hall, Monday, April 20, from 6PM - 7PM (location TBD).

District 6 Specific Budget Initiatives 

Our office has reviewed and supports the Mayor’s Fiscal Year 2026–2027 March Budget Message, recognizing the importance of balancing essential services with long-term financial stability. With projected budget shortfalls and economic challenges ahead, the framework emphasizes careful planning, operational efficiency, and strategic one-time investments that strengthen City services and save costs over time. 

Proactive City – One Team Expansion 

We propose an expansion to the City Manager's “One Team” initiative, pushing to move San José from a reactive mode to a proactive posture. Our One Team Watch program would empower City staff to identify maintenance, safety, or compliance issues early, while enhancements to SJ311 would allow residents and employees to report and track concerns in real time. Every City employee is encouraged to participate, helping prevent small issues from becoming larger problems. Together, these efforts create a stronger, more coordinated approach to addressing issues before they escalate. 

Municipal Rose Garden & Bramhall Park 

A pilot program at the Municipal Rose Garden (MRG) has successfully reduced unpermitted vendors, improved maintenance, and strengthened oversight during peak visitation. Building on this success, we are advocating for ongoing staffing support at MRG and expanding a similar model at Willow Street Frank Bramhall Park to ensure consistent, high-quality park conditions across our community.  

Valley Water Agreement 

District 6 includes several major creeks and trails, including the Guadalupe River, Los Gatos Creek Trail, and Three Creeks Trail, and they all involve overlapping jurisdictions between the City, Valley Water, Caltrans, Santa Clara County, Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority, and private property owners, often slowing responses to issues such as illegal dumping and encampments. Last year, the Mayor's office led an initiative to create what is now a successful Caltrans Delegated Maintenance Agreement, allowing City teams to enter and clean designated Caltrans properties. We are asking the City Manager to explore stronger coordination to create a similar agreement with Valley Water to streamline abatement efforts along waterways, especially where they interact with City-owned property.

SJC Airport Strategy and Economic Development 

The City has work to do to expand operations at Norman Y. Mineta San José International Airport (SJC) especially when it comes to increasing both domestic and international flights, and onsite services and transportation. My goal, as liaison to SJC and a strong sponsor of San José's economic development, is to partner with our Director of Aviation, Mookie Patel, to assemble a coalition of business, civic, and community leaders committed to supporting SJC's growth and long-term competitiveness to do the following:

• Grow business loyalty to SJC as the first choice for corporate travel
• Support more direct service to key East Coast markets and other business and leisure routes
• Build an ongoing program that ties SJC more closely to our broader economic development strategy and innovation brand

As we look ahead to more sporting events in 2026—like this week’s NCAA March Madness and this summer’s FIFA World Cup—and the 250th anniversary of San José in 2027, we need to continue to leverage SJC as a gateway to showcase our City and drive economic activity. As we have seen with SJ26 so far, these are exactly the kinds of opportunities where a proactive, coordinated approach can have an outsized impact. 

Reporting Issues

San José 311 is the city's one-stop service hub for reporting issues like graffiti, potholes, and illegal dumping. You can also request services such as streetlight repairs and abandoned vehicle removal.

To report an issue, we encourage you to download the 311 app or report online. The 311 App is available at the Apple App Store and Google Play Store.