☆ Advice to Mahan: (Doing something with) public input is key

Mayor Mahan’s State of the City address is almost a week away. Below, some Opp Now contributors suggest he emphasizes how SJ solicits, utilizes, and values community feedback (and could that extend to VTA?). An Opp Now exclusive with Pierluigi Oliverio, John Low, and Families & Homes SJ.

Pierluigi Oliverio, San Jose planning commissioner: What I want the mayor to talk about is what he hears from everyday, ordinary people regarding their concerns and how he is listening and acting to help alleviate those concerns.

John Low, San Jose resident, 2024 Libertarian National Convention delegate: Given the city manager’s January report that San Jose’s anticipated $39 million budget deficit for 2025–26 has risen to $60 million, I would like Mayor Mahan to tell us what programs he will be cutting—or persuading his fellow councilmembers to cut—in order to balance that deficit.

Go Deeper:

• Beyond 2-min public comments: A crash course for SJ in smart, intentional community engagement
• Canada case study: Getting valuable public input = meeting residents where they're at
• The Cupertino Project: A case study in facilitating meaningful city–community feedback

Families & Homes SJ: We urge Mayor Mahan to reaffirm his commitment to local control over land use decisions in his upcoming State of the City address. Emphasizing the importance of community input and elected oversight is crucial in shaping developments that impact our parks, streets, libraries, and overall quality of life.

While he has previously supported "ministerial" approvals based on outdated public comments, we believe current residents deserve a voice in decisions that affect their neighborhoods.

Additionally, we hope he will oppose state legislation that undermines local authority by imposing one-size-fits-all land use policies, which could erode democratic participation and disregard the unique needs of our community.

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