By Robert Haugh
Last night, the Santa Clara City Council held a study session on the proposed 2023/2024 and 2024/2025 Biennial operating budget and the 2023/2024 Capital Improvement programs Budget changes.
In a nutshell, the City is slowly seeing a rebound from effects of the pandemic, specifically in ToT (Hotel) taxes and sales tax, as well as property taxes.
Long-term, unfunded pension benefits are a huge budget issue.


LifeMoves
A few members of the public asked the Council to reconsider the controversial LifeMoves interim housing project slated for Lawrence and Benton last week.
Vice Mayor Kevin Park spoke at length trying to convince any of the four prevailing votes (Anthony Becker, Karen Hardy, Suds Jain, Kathy Watanabe), to reconsider the item, but none of the them did.
City Attorney Glen Googins said the Council did nothing inappropriate and the public hearing was held as necessary. He is not concerned there are legal reasons that the item needed to be reconsidered.
The meeting, which started at 4 p.m. with a closed session didn’t end until after 9:30 p.m.

Deficit has definitely come down. Good news. Now if Jed York would just give us our money instead of wasting it on simpletons.
Park is unhinged.
Each meeting a new revelation.
Of someone who not
thinking straight.
Once again it shows that Park is useless. The matter was approved, move on and make it better. Park is just a bum
Park screws up again.