Work To Do: Tips for Matt Mahan as he returns to San Jose Leadership

By David G. Johnson

SVGOP Chairman Dave Johnson offers SJ Mayor Matt Mahan--now that his gubernatorial run is over--a simple, cost-effective agenda to get San Jose back on track.

This is the truth about San Jose City Council and city staff: 

* We're doing some things right.

* We're doing some things wrong.

* And a lot of what we're doing is in the muddled middle.

Now that Mayor Mahan can devote his full time energies to our fair city, here's a list of simple recommendations to help him get focused on the priorities that matter so we can make real progress and deliver solid results. 

1.) Get more cost-effective and aggressive about homelessness

While on the campaign trail,  Mahan touted his Tiny Homes interim housing strategy as a model for the state in addressing homelessness--it isn't. It's too expensive, slow, and limited in its reach. This city is already warning that we basically won't have funds to continue expanding the Tiny Homes strategy. This is why SJ homelessness is still rising and around 50% of our homeless remain unsheltered.

Solution: Pivot to large-scale, temporary shelters as cities such as Reno and other cities have done, putting a real dent in homelessness quickly.

2.) Get more aggressive about right-sizing City government

One of the most disheartening elements of the city's most recent revenue shortfall and budget trouble was Mahan's and the City Manager's refusal to seriously downsize (yes, that means layoffs) departments that either aren't performing or aren't Charter Priorities. This is just treading water from year to year. 

Solution: Stack-rank city departments by priority and effectiveness, and lop off the 10% that aren't performing.

3.) Crime

Crime is up, not down, and most San Jose residents will say their home is not one of America’s safest big cities.  Why?

For starters, most crimes are not reported and if they are, they are not prosecuted. Mahan needs to use his influence to convince the county DA to get tougher on criminals and convict and incarcerate wrong-doers.  The under-funded police department can barely respond to “normal” calls.  

Next, Mahan needs to support other law-enforcement agencies, such as ICE.  There is no such thing as a sanctuary City and San Jose is no exception.  By subverting federal efforts to enforce immigration laws--in effect turning a blind eye to those who disregard those laws--is to thumb your nose at the Federal government. It’s simply bad policy. 

Solution: Stop the lie we are safe, when we are not.  Convince the residents of San Jose that City Hall cares and is doing everything it can to reduce violent crime and murder in the City.  Fund the police department.

4.) Make San Jose more business-friendly

Touting that “Planning Department Approvals are increasing rapidly” does not tell the whole story.

The Building Department in the City of San Jose is a shell of its former self.  Routine permit approvals take months or years.  To call for an inspection on a new wall or a simple item triggers endless re-inspections and upgrades of items outside the original scope.  

It takes three-to-four weeks to get an inspection.  When you run out of inspection time, you pay $350 per hour for “additional time”.  Again and again.  How can any business get started when they can’t get approvals, and the inspection time drags simple projects into the months and years?

Solution: In San Diego, also short on money, they opened their Building Department and allowed for Over-The Counter permit issuance on the same day.  San Jose stopped doing that.  What once took two hours now takes weeks or months and the City has to fix this if they want to make San Jose more business friendly.

5.) Be a mayor for the whole city. 

Many Republicans supported Mahan in his original run for mayor, but he has excommunicated conservatives and the small business community from policy discussion and input. As his gubernatorial campaign revealed: for a moderate, this is a losing strategy. We remain committed to working with pro-business, fiscally reasonable moderate (if there are any) Democrats--but we can't do that if our voice is not heard, requested nor appreciated.  

San Jose can no longer be considered as business friendly or “one of the safest” big Cities.  This needs to change if San Jose can restore its place as “The Heart of the Silicon Valley”.

Let's more SJ forward, not backward.

David G. Johnson