![\"A](\"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nhl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/Tordilloa-2-1024x768.jpg\")
District 3 Anthony Tordillos at his election night party on June 24, 2025. Photo by Brandon Pho.<\/p>\nIt was a transformational year for Silicon Valley.<\/p>\n
A county assessor\u2019s 30-year reign came to an end. Two city leaders were sentenced in court. Superintendent firings and mass layoffs rocked a host of local schools. And a judge brought an end to a historic transit labor strike.<\/p>\n
But for each chapter that was closed this year, 2025 opened new ones. A special election turned a hopeful page for downtown San Jose. A gutted hospital was restored, preventing a health care desert in East San Jose. Another special election this month will decide the region\u2019s first new property taxer in decades.<\/p>\n
As the year comes to a close, San Jos\u00e9 Spotlight is looking back on its definitive moments.<\/p>\n
District 3 Anthony Tordillos at his election night party on June 24, 2025. Photo by Brandon Pho.<\/p>\n
New era for downtown San Jose<\/p>\n
For more than a year, a child sex abuse probe into former downtown Councilmember Omar Torres faced San Jose with one of its darkest and most divisive chapters. The scandal finally came to a close in August, when Torres was sentenced to 18 years<\/a> in prison for child sex abuse crimes, after a dramatic courtroom hearing where Torres\u2019 victim spoke publicly for the first time.<\/p>\n It came just weeks after residents took steps toward a brighter and more hopeful future, installing Anthony Tordillos to fill the remainder of Torres\u2019 term after Tordillos won a June special election<\/a>.<\/p>\n Santa Clara leaks<\/p>\n This year saw the court sentencing of another city leader. In April, a judge ordered former Santa Clara Councilmember Anthony Becker<\/a> to spend 40 days in a county work program on specific days of the week.<\/p>\n It came four months<\/a> after a jury found Becker guilty<\/a> of perjury and failing to uphold his duties as a public official. Becker was accused of leaking a 2022 Santa Clara County Civil Grand Jury report<\/a> \u2014 which focused on the San Francisco 49ers\u2019 influence over city politics \u2014 before its official publication date. Becker was also accused of lying about it<\/a> to the grand jury during its investigation.<\/p>\n Becker is appealing his sentencing and still fighting to get his electronic devices back<\/a>.<\/p>\n East San Jose hospital restored<\/p>\n For years, East San Jose\u2019s only hospital withered under profit-driven cuts to maternity, stroke and trauma care under its former owner, HCA Healthcare. But after a bold $150 million purchase, Regional Medical Center joined the Santa Clara County public hospital system \u2014now the second largest in the state \u2014 and officially reopened several key services<\/a> in April.<\/p>\n The hospital revived its trauma, stroke and heart attack care that HCA cut the prior year. Then came the return of maternity care in October<\/a>, after its elimination in 2020, enabling East Side mothers to give birth closer to home.<\/p>\n Voters approve sales tax increase<\/p>\n The joy of Regional Medical Center\u2019s restoration was in many ways short-lived. President Donald Trump\u2019s July signing of his watershed federal spending legislation, known as the \u201cOne Big Beautiful Bill,\u201d spelled massive cuts to health care funds<\/a> keeping the county\u2019s hospital system afloat.<\/p>\n The expected annual loss of $1 billion poses an existential threat<\/a> to the hospital system. So county leaders hatched an 11th hour plan to place a five-eighths cent sales tax measure on the November ballot<\/a>.<\/p>\n The Measure A campaign faced an unusually short \u2014 and difficult \u2014 runway. The county had to fend off skepticism among the ranks of its own employees<\/a>, as well as a lawsuit seeking to strike the measure entirely<\/a>.<\/p>\n Election night results showed Measure A passing with a wide margin of voter support<\/a>, but much uncertainty lies ahead. The extra $330 million in annual revenue isn\u2019t enough to stave off cuts. Meanwhile, District Attorney Jeff Rosen has threatened an investigation<\/a> into the county after alleging mixed messages about the tax revenue\u2019s use. The state Fair Political Practices Commission, however, dismissed taxpayer complaints on the grounds that they had no merit.<\/p>\n Game On Silicon Valley!<\/p>\n Silicon Valley cities are preparing to host a slate of global sports events \u2014 Super Bowl 60<\/a>, the FIFA World Cup<\/a>\u00a0and NCAA March Madness<\/a> \u2014 that will turn their communities into critical population centers. They\u2019re hoping to avoid a repeat of 2016<\/a>, when San Francisco took most of the tourism and branding from 60 miles away. But a lineup of official NFL events indicates SF might steal the spotlight yet again<\/a>.<\/p>\n Meanwhile, preparation for the event has sapped the resources of county officials<\/a>, who are scrambling to cover security<\/a> costs during an unprecedented budget crisis.<\/p>\n Standing up to ICE<\/p>\n Trump\u2019s immigration agenda has met fierce resistance in Santa Clara County<\/a>. County officials took steps to fund immigrant support services better than any of its Bay Area neighbors<\/a>.<\/p>\n Meanwhile, the San Jose City Council approved a policy requiring masked U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officials to identify themselves<\/a>. The city also joined the county in enacting policies banning ICE from using public facilities<\/a> for immigration enforcement.<\/p>\n Lawsuit after lawsuit<\/p>\n Santa Clara County leaders carried the torch for Silicon Valley\u2019s Trump resistance \u2014 mainly through lawsuits that forced the federal government<\/a> to momentarily back off from upending federal grants to permanent housing programs.<\/p>\n It was one of nine lawsuits the county has filed<\/a>, including one blocking an executive order ending birthright citizenship<\/a>. The county has also sued the Trump administration for withholding millions of dollars in FEMA disaster preparedness funds. So far, the county has prevailed in five of its lawsuits.<\/p>\n Historic transit strike<\/p>\n The first labor strike in VTA history lasted 17 days this year<\/a>, halting transit and bus service as workers decried insufficient wages.<\/p>\n The saga was marked by tense negotiations \u2014 and ultimately a legal battle between workers and VTA, which asked a judge to force employees back to work. The labor dispute exposed service gaps and connectivity issues<\/a> with BART and San Jose State University. A judge ultimately ruled in VTA\u2019s favor<\/a>, arguing that workers had violated a no-strike clause.<\/p>\n County assessor bows out<\/p>\n Larry Stone, who served as Santa Clara County assessor for 30 years, stepped down in July<\/a>. The move opened a vacancy \u2014 and a special election<\/a> to fill the remainder of his term.<\/p>\n The race to replace Stone could reshape the valley, and candidates are fighting hard to win, throwing out promises as lofty as senior property tax exemptions<\/a>. Candidates Neysa Fligor and Rishi Kumar are headed to a Dec. 30 runoff<\/a>. There\u2019s palpable concern that turnout will be meek during the holidays.<\/p>\n School district turbulence<\/p>\n The abrupt July firing of Alum Rock Union School District Superintendent German Cerda raised eyebrows. But the real drama started when Cerda publicly explained why<\/a>. The former leader alleged he was fired for looking into questionable district reimbursements to board members.<\/p>\n Namely, Board Vice President Andres Quintero received more than $27,000 in reimbursements from the district for an online doctorate program he took with the University of the Cumberlands. Quintero also owed the district $5,000 for health benefits premiums, he said.<\/p>\n Cerda\u2019s firing prompted a wave of scrutiny over Quintero \u2014 even attracting the DA\u2019s attention<\/a>. In recent months, parents at school board meetings have demanded Quintero either return the money or resign<\/a>.<\/p>\n Meanwhile, the Santa Clara County\u00a0Office of Education weathered backlash<\/a> for laying off hundreds of teachers serving low-income preschoolers, migrants and special education students. The decision stoked uproar from state lawmakers and county leaders.<\/p>\n The office of education also diminished numerous essential programs,<\/a> including Head Start, special education, migrant education, mental health and wellness, and numerous other departments funded through the district\u2019s general fund.<\/p>\n Sharks\u2019 big win<\/p>\n For the past year, the San Jose Sharks lobbied for city funds \u2014 arguing their 30-year-old arena was in dire need of repairs. The hockey team got its wish in August, when the city council agreed to pay<\/a> for most of the renovations with a $351 million taxpayer subsidy, championed by Mayor Matt Mahan. The Sharks, meanwhile, will only pay $100 million. But some residents questioned<\/a> why taxpayers have to foot the bulk of renovation costs at a time of economic hardship<\/a> and threats to social safety net programs<\/a>. Sharks owner and SAP Chairman Hasso Plattner possesses a net worth of $14 billion, according to Forbes<\/a>.<\/p>\n![\"A](\"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nhl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/IMG_4231-1024x683.jpg\")
Regional Medical Center Trauma Program Coordinator Luis Maciel and Physician Executive Yvonne Karanas in the hospital\u2019s trauma unit. Photo by Brandon Pho.<\/p>\n![\"Woman](\"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nhl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/20250210-LAGH102-1024x683.jpg\")
Zaileen Janmohamed, president and CEO of the Bay Area Host Committee, holds a ceremonial football next to San Jose Mayor Matt Mahan and Jed York, CEO of the San Francisco 49ers, during a Super Bowl host cities hand-off event in New Orleans on Feb. 10, 2025. Photo courtesy of the Bay Area Host Committee.<\/p>\n![\"Group](\"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nhl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/IMG_2568-1024x611.jpg\")
Amalgamated Transit Union Local 265, which represents more than 1,500 VTA frontline workers, went on strike on March 10, 2025 for higher wages. Photo by B. Sakura Cannestra.<\/p>\n![\"Ice](\"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nhl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/Sharks-fans-3-1024x683.jpg\")
The San Jose City Council agreed to pay $351 million for most of the renovations at the Sharks\u2019 home in SAP Center. Photo courtesy of San Jose Sharks.<\/p>\n![\"NewsMatch](\"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nhl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/interactive-255337946814.png\")
<\/a>The deal also commits the city and Sharks to begin planning a new arena by September 2027.<\/p>\n