Housing, civil rights and safety net services emerged as key issues at the panel hosted by the Bay Area Municipal Elections Committee.

The finalized policy will make its way to the council this winter after running through various city commissions.

D3 Councilor Raul Peralez called it “more than disappointing” that a feasibility study on the fee faces yet another several-month delay.

The environmentally friendly standards will become a part of the city’s building codes if state regulators give them the green light.

Susan Ellenberg’s election to the Santa Clara County District 4 seat stands to shift the board to the center in the years ahead.

The city of a million residents has quite a long ways to go to reach its goal of building 10,000 new affordable homes by 2022.

As local governments chase universal connectivity, San Jose considers how to digitize a city already grappling with user error.

Councilman Pierluigi Oliverio's former chief of staff filed a lawsuit accusing him of sexually harassing her and calling her vulgar names.

San Jose’s homeless residents could soon have the option of using their housing vouchers to stay in underutilized hotels and motels.

San Jose residents may get a chance to vote on allocating more of the city’s budget to public safety. A motion by Councilmember Pierluigi Oliverio aims to put a charter amendment on the June ballot that would guarantee that 40 percent of the general fund goes to the San Jose Police Department. Right now, 30 percent does—down from about 35 percent several years ago. Also on the agenda: future development in the Cambrian neighborhood, a movie screening about female military veterans and letters of thanks to San Jose police and firefighters.

Parking prices may double in downtown pretty soon. But a couple city leaders insist there must be a better way to offset the cost of upgraded meters, rather than passing the price-spike down to drivers. Also on the agenda: wild pigs, a construction tax hiatus and a discussion about where to place that long-delayed bond-funded softball complex.

Business groups worry that San Jose could scare away developers if it imposes a fee on new home construction to pay for more affordable housing, an effort to recoup a fraction of the money lost when the state closed all redevelopment agencies. The City Council, which was supposed to talk about the inclusionary housing fee in December, decided to table the discussion until the new year.

An intellectual property attorney has thrown his name into what is becoming a crowded race to replace downtown San Jose Councilman Sam Liccardo. Gagliardi joins four others who have filed statements of intent to run in the June primary for the District 3 seat. Other candidates include community organizer Kathy Sutherland, San Jose police officer and sometimes-model Raul Peralez, downtown club owner Mauricio Mejia and youth sports league founder George Kleidon.

Xavier Campos refuses to cooperate with investigation into mail fraud scandal, according to grand jury transcripts exclusively obtained by Metro and San Jose Inside.

It’s officially election season—two San Jose city councilmembers sparred via email this week following a Vietnamese New Year flag raising ceremony held Monday at City Hall. Kansen Chu sent the first email to Madison Nguyen, accusing the vice mayor of sponsoring an event that featured “campaign activity” by his challenger, Tam Truong, in this June’s election. Nguyen disputed this in her own email and concluded that Chu is grandstanding.

San Jose City Councilmember Pete Constant is the closest thing that this city has to a Tea Party Republican in local politics. Or at least he was. In a surprising announcement late last night, Constant said that he is abandoning the Republican Party and registering as a Democrat.