In a report at Tuesday’s City Council meeting, City Manager Debra Figone will talk about efforts to save city jobs and services while noting the sacrifices employees have made in recent years. Also on Tuesday, the council will discuss the county’s Habitat Conservation Plan and the transfer of several properties.

When it comes the garbage services, residents have two simple requests: 1. Pick up the garbage every week in a reliable manner; 2. Do it in the most cost-effective way possible. Easy enough, right? Well, no. Potentially higher costs for garbage services were the topic under discussion at the last City Council meeting.

Working Partnerships USA, the labor-aligned nonprofit headed by former San Jose vice mayor Cindy Chavez, yesterday released its most recent Internal Revenue Service Form 990, after eight days of refusing requests to view the document. A review of the organization’s filings over the years found spending increases during key elections despite IRS restrictions on political activities by charities. In total, the nonprofit has raised and spent more than $25 million since 1998.

Gun violence, healthcare reform and community health lead the list of topics Supervisor Ken Yeager will speak about during his State of the County speech next week. Also on Tuesday, the county Board of Supervisors will meet to discuss strict fines for not filing campaign disclosure forms on time and funding for the county hospital system, amongst other agenda items.

A trend has emerged in the Silicon Valley real estate market, where middle-class homebuyers are losing out to cash buyers—often investment groups from overseas—who convert owner-occupied homes into rentals. The natural tendency of sellers to choose quick, guaranteed sales over offers with financing contingencies is a new assault on middle-class home ownership, a shift likely to expand the ranks of landlords and tenants and make home ownership an increasingly elusive American dream.

The National Rifle Association heard about a local attorney’s idea to crack down on assault weapons in San Jose and hired a law firm to write up a disapproving missive to City Council. Other items going before the Rules and Open Government Committee on Wednesday include support for a Constitutional amendment acknowledging companies aren’t people, a report on how transparent the city is in holding meetings and disseminating information and more rants from City Hall critic David Wall.

An old industrial lot northeast of the Tamien Caltrain station, slated to house a two-story elementary charter school, contains toxic levels of herbicides, oils and arsenic, according to an environmental report from the city of San Jose. The Santa Clara County Board of Education at its Wednesday meeting plans to discuss a zoning exemption for the new Rocketship charter school. The county board will also discuss in closed session the potential special election over Trustee Darcie Green’s seat.

Last week, I attended the meeting of the Redevelopment Agency Successor Oversight Board for the City of Santa Clara. I urged the group to reject the California Finance Department’s move to “clawback” $1.25 million from Bill Wilson Center’s Peacock Commons housing project.

San Jose and its surrounding cities topped a list of best-performing metro areas thanks to its booming tech industry, which thrust it from 51st to numero uno in the nation just a year ago.

In a bid to move on from the scandal ignited by county Supervisor George Shirakawa abusing his taxpayer-funded credit card, the Board of Supervisors will discuss P-Card audits Tuesday morning instead of later this month. Also on the agenda for the first meeting of the year, the supervisors will discuss $15 million in bonds for YMCA, low-income childcare, a new farmers market, ridding the county of illegal pot and a commendation for outgoing San Jose Police Chief Chris Moore.

This week’s City Council meeting will split into two sessions, but only a land use item will receive attention in the evening. The daytime session provides the meat of this week’s meeting, and an audit of city services and accomplishments will take top billing.

If you’re interested in making a non-tax deductible contribution to a man who misused thousands of taxpayer dollars, in addition to hiding campaign disclosure forms for years, George Shirakawa would like to speak with you.

The topic of bumping and staff reductions takes center stage at Tuesday’s City Council meeting, the first of 2013. Other items on the agenda include loaded questions for police chief candidates, the city manager’s upcoming trip to Las Vegas, Curb Cafés, a dog park group getting its due and city property sales, one of which could benefit a local charter school group.

Near the end of last year, the City Council approved the exploration of building a sports complex in one of two places: Singleton Landfill or the county fairgrounds. There are some serious costs and benefits to both proposed sites, but one has an edge based on past council decisions to subsidize recreational offerings.

Last year, way back in 2012, Gov. Jerry Brown broke a state record by signing more bills into law during his three terms than any other governor since 1967. (Take that, Reagan.) In 2012 alone, Brown signed an astounding 876 regular-session bills. Here’s a select overview of some of the more relevant laws now in effect.

We dodged the end of the world on Dec. 21, but now—due to Republican intransigence—we’re heading off the fiscal cliff on Jan. 1. The icon of the Republican Party is no longer an elephant; it is a lemming.