Local Government
Latest reporting from the Local Government desk.
Local Government
Latest reporting from the Local Government desk.
Local Government
Latest reporting from the Local Government desk.
Local Government
View MoreAdobe Creek trail closes 2 months for gate repairs
A 0.8-mile stretch of the Adobe Creek Loop Trail near Byxbee Park closes Tuesday for two months while Valley Water replaces six aging water flow gates at the Palo Alto Flood Basin tide gate structure.
Local Government
View MoreJudge rules Stanford Daily visa crackdown unconstitutional
A federal judge in San Jose ruled that the U.S. government violated the First and Fifth Amendments by targeting Stanford Daily student journalists for deportation over their coverage of pro-Palestinian protests, in what advocates called the first ruling of its kind in the country.
Local Government
View MoreSanta Clara election office wins six national awards
Santa Clara County's Registrar of Voters won six competitive national election awards in 2026, more than any other U.S. jurisdiction, including recognition for a paperless voter-guide program that saves an estimated $500,000 per election.
Local Government
View MorePalo Alto police move into new safety building
Palo Alto's $123.5 million Public Safety Building on Sherman Avenue is now operational after months of delays tied to a contractor dispute, with a flag-raising ceremony set for Sept. 2 and the dispatch center moving in Oct. 1.
Local Government
View MorePalo Alto moves closer to dropping Flock cameras
The Palo Alto City Council signaled Aug. 24 that it will likely drop its Flock Safety license plate cameras, directing staff and police auditors to evaluate alternative vendors as a 90-day audit proceeds after multiple council members expressed distrust of the surveillance company.
Local Government
View MorePalo Alto meetings this week cover rail crossings, bike tunnel
Palo Alto residents have three chances this week to review refined 15% designs for grade separations at Churchill, Meadow and Charleston, plus a proposed El Dorado Avenue bike tunnel, ahead of a September City Council review.
Local Government
View MoreValley Water adopts 2045 carbon neutrality plan
Valley Water's board adopted its first Greenhouse Gas Reduction Plan on Aug. 11, committing the agency that serves Palo Alto and Santa Clara County to carbon neutrality by 2045 through zero-emission fleet upgrades, cleaner construction and habitat restoration.
Local Government
View MoreCourt fight over transit tax could hit Caltrain funding
Ten Bay Area voters sued in Santa Clara County Superior Court to block the Connect Bay Area Act from the November ballot, arguing its language is deceptive; a judge must rule by Aug. 28 or the 0.5% sales tax measure — which would fund Caltrain, VTA and other transit agencies — goes to voters as written.
Local Government
View MoreValley Water votes to lead Crescent Park flood control
Valley Water's board voted 6-0 on Aug. 18 to formally propose taking over flood-control leadership on San Francisquito Creek, responding to Crescent Park residents who want the agency's engineering muscle applied to stalled projects including the Pope-Chaucer Bridge replacement.
Local Government
View MoreVeenker's State of the City tackles budget shortfall
Mayor Vicki Veenker delivers her State of the City address Wednesday evening amid an $8 million sales tax shortfall, a 13.4% vacancy rate on University Avenue and projected budget deficits stretching into the 2030s.
Local Government
View MorePalo Alto OKs 228-unit tower via Builder's Remedy
Palo Alto City Council unanimously approved an 85-foot, 228-unit apartment building at 762 San Antonio Road on Monday night, with developer Acclaim Companies invoking Builder's Remedy to bypass local zoning on a corridor where the city is planning thousands of new homes.
Local Government
View MoreNew PAUSD chief proposes cutting 3 admin jobs
Superintendent Jason Glass will present a plan to eliminate three central office positions and restore an in-house attorney at Tuesday's PAUSD board meeting, projecting more than $1.3 million in combined savings for a district still reeling from a failed parcel tax and leadership turnover.
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©2026 Palo Alto Ledger
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©2026 Palo Alto Ledger
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