FROM A SHAKEUP on the City Council to an elected official’s conviction, Santa Clara had no shortage of major stories this year.
Here’s a look back at what happened in 2024 in the Mission City.
A councilmember’s legal woes
A jury found former Vice Mayor Anthony Becker guilty of perjury and failing to uphold his duties as an elected official after he leaked a confidential Santa Clara County Grand Jury Report on the San Francisco 49ers’ relationship with the Santa Clara City Council.
Former 49ers executive Rahul Chandhok testified that Becker gave him a copy of the report days before it was published.
A day after the verdict was announced, Becker resigned from his council seat.
Becker’s sentencing hearing is scheduled for Jan. 31, and his lawyers plan to appeal the verdict.
New faces on the council
This past November, Santa Clara voters elected two new councilmembers — one to fill the seat of outgoing Councilmember Kathy Watanabe and another to replace Becker.
Becker was defeated in District 6 by challenger Kelly Cox. Voters elected Santa Clara Unified School District Trustee Albert Gonzalez to succeed Watanabe in District 1. Voters reelected Councilmembers Kevin Park and Suds Jain, who faced challengers.
Lt. Cory Morgan was elected to serve as police chief and Robert O’Keefe was elected to serve as city clerk. Santa Clara is one of the only places that elects its police chief and city clerk, and voters decided in the March election to continue doing so.
Infrastructure needs
The George F. Haines International Swim Center has been closed since January, symbolizing Santa Clara’s growing need for resources to repair its crumbling infrastructure. The city identified various infrastructure needs totaling $624 million, including updates to outdated sewer systems, roads and public safety buildings.
Voters approved a $400 million infrastructure bond, Measure I, by 69.4% in November. The city’s expenditure plan has most of the funds allocated toward emergency services, such as fixing fire stations.
The bond will be overseen by a nine-person oversight committee, selected through a lottery process. Recruitment for the committee begins next year.
Settling lawsuits with the 49ers
After spending millions of taxpayer dollars on legal fees, the city settled its final lawsuit with the 49ers — a fight that focused on public safety costs for events and NFL games at Levi’s Stadium.
The settlement included a plan to increase revenue from stadium events into city coffers. The settlement also ended a slew of legal battles that included another lawsuit over Levi’s Stadium’s management and disputes over late noise curfews and financial management.
Major events at Levi’s Stadium
Levi’s Stadium is hosting six World Cup matches and Super Bowl 60 in 2026, and the city is preparing for thousands of visitors. City officials are focusing on security and public safety for the highly-anticipated events by assessing additional equipment and manpower.
When Santa Clara hosted Super Bowl 50 in 2016, the city didn’t see as much economic impact as other parts of the Bay Area. Local leaders want to draw more attention to the South Bay by planning events near the stadium.
More grand jury reports
The city government was the subject of two more civil grand jury reports, for a total of three so far. The first report blasted councilmembers for their divisiveness, claiming tension has undermined City Hall’s effectiveness. The second report focused on the city’s 2010 Measure J, which approved the construction of Levi’s Stadium, and found the measure has protected the city’s general fund from subsidizing the stadium or benefiting the 49ers.
Most councilmembers responded by calling out the grand jury’s partisanship and accusing the report of cherry-picking evidence.
BART expansion work begins
A BART connection through the South Bay has been decades in the making. This year, construction finally began on six more miles of rail that will go through three new stations in San Jose and a fourth at the Santa Clara Transit Center.
Construction workers began bringing equipment to the Newhall Maintenance Facility in Santa Clara in April. VTA officials had hoped a federal grant could cover half the project’s $12.75 billion cost, but received less than requested. They’re considering ways to patch a $700 million shortfall.
Field fees for youth sports
This year, the city started charging youth sports groups $14 an hour to use city fields. Sports teams have complained the costs are excessive as players use multiple fields for hours each day, potentially pushing low-income families out of participating.
City officials pointed toward the Wade Brummal Youth Sports Grant to provide scholarships for residents who can’t afford player costs. In June, the city council waived field charges from July through December to provide time to discuss with sports groups and find a solution.
Contact B. Sakura Cannestra at sakura@sanjosespotlight.com or @SakuCannestra on X.
This story originally appeared in San Jose Spotlight.