Ahead of the June primary election, the Bay Area News Group compiled a list of questions to pose to the candidates for San Jose City Council District 5. You can find the full questionnaire below. Questionnaires may have been edited for spelling, grammar, length and clarity.

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Name: Karen Martinez
Current job title: Governing Board Member San José Evergreen Community College District
Date of birth: January 5, 1973

Other political positions held: Alum Rock USD (Served 6 years) San Jose Evergreen Community College District (Present)

District where you reside: Lynadale

If you’ve held elective office before, how has your work directly improved the quality of your constituents’ lives?

Yes twice. On the Alum Rock Union School Board, I helped lead the largest facilities upgrade in the district’s history, improving campuses and classrooms for students across East San José. Since 2018, I’ve served as a San José Evergreen Community College District Trustee representing this same community. In that role, I’ve expanded college access, strengthened workforce programs, and helped secure $709 million in resources for students and the community, all while delivering balanced budgets. I also helped expand the college’s presence directly into East San José, where Middle School Students can now take college courses, putting higher education within reach for kids who never thought it was possible for them. Fiscal responsibility and real results for working families aren’t just talking points for me. They’re my record.

What are the top three problems you’re seeking to solve if elected to represent this district? 

Housing affordability, public safety, and city investment that actually reaches East San José. District 5 families have been doing the work of neighborhood associations, community organizing, showing up while the city’s attention and resources go elsewhere. That changes with me on the council.

Why are you uniquely qualified to address the three problems you’ve identified above?  

I grew up in East San José, I’ve served on neighborhood associations, and I’ve been in the rooms where residents fight for basic city services that other parts of San José take for granted. As a trustee at San José Evergreen Community College District, I’ve managed real budgets and made real policy decisions for this same community. I’m not learning this district; I’ve been living it.

How do this district’s challenges differ, in degree or kind, from the rest of the city’s, if at all? 

District 5 has been underfunded and underserved for decades. East San José has some of the highest poverty rates in the city, alongside working and middle-class families who are one crisis away from being pushed out. The streets are worse, the parks are underfunded, code enforcement is slower, and city investment consistently flows to other parts of town. The challenges aren’t just different in degree; they reflect a pattern of neglect that has to be named and reversed.

What differentiates you from your most serious competitors for this seat?   

I’m the kitchen table candidate. The issues I’m running on housing costs, neighborhood safety, and making sure East San José finally gets its fair share aren’t policy positions I developed for this race. They’re conversations I’ve been having with neighbors for years at community meetings, school events, and neighborhood association forums. My opponents have held office. What they haven’t done is live these issues. The housing crisis, the cost of living, the feeling that East San José gets the leftovers after the rest of the city gets served, I’m not learning about those things from a briefing. I’m running because I’ve felt them, I’ve fought alongside neighbors who’ve felt them, and I’ve been in this community long before anyone handed me a ballot. District 5 doesn’t need someone who knows how government works. It needs someone who knows this community, and that’s me.

What committee or board would you most like to lead, if given the opportunity? And how would that position serve your constituents?

I first need to get there.

San Jose is now close to finalizing its third four-year review of its Envision 2040 General Plan, the details of which will shape the city’s future development path. What priorities would you like to see in this revised general plan?

Real investment in East San José not just zoning changes that open the door to displacement, but infrastructure, parks, and community facilities that serve existing residents. More affordable housing near transit with actual income targeting for the families already living here. And explicit anti-displacement protections for neighborhoods like ours that are finally getting attention but risk being priced out in the process.

What solutions do you support to reduce housing costs in San Jose? How are they any different than ones that have already been tried?

We need to stop pretending market-rate development alone solves the problem for District 5 families. I support cutting permitting timelines, enforcing inclusionary housing requirements, and creating dedicated funding for deeply affordable units tied to actual incomes in East San José. What’s different is the accountability piece we need to stop letting developers negotiate their way out of community benefit requirements.

San Jose has placed a 2% hotel tax increase on the June ballot. Do you support that tax? Why or why not?

Yes. It’s a modest, targeted tax on visitors and business travelers not residents. The revenue supports city services that East San José needs just as much as any other part of the city. It’s the right call.

Why should renters in your district vote for you? 

Because I’ve lived it. I was a teen mom who experienced homelessness firsthand. I know what it means to need stable housing, not as a policy priority but as a matter of survival. That experience never leaves you, and it’s exactly why I’ll fight harder for renters in District 5 than anyone else in this race. Renters here deal with substandard conditions, slow code enforcement, and landlords who know they can get away with it because nobody at City Hall is really watching. I’ll push for faster enforcement and real accountability, not just policy language that sounds good but doesn’t change anything on the ground. When you’ve been there yourself, it’s not just an issue. It’s personal.

Is PG&E serving San Jose residents well? If not, explain what actions you would take to lower energy costs for San Jose ratepayers.

No. Working families in District 5 feel every rate increase directly. I’d push hard to maximize enrollment in San José Clean Energy, advocate alongside our state delegation to the CPUC, and make sure the city is doing everything in its power to reduce dependence on PG&E for municipal operations and pass those savings on to ratepayers.

What actions do you support to tackle homelessness? How are your policy prescriptions different than what’s already been done?

Permanent supportive housing with real wraparound services mental health, substance use treatment, job training. What’s been missing is coordination and accountability between the city, the county, and the nonprofits on the ground. I’d push for a unified system with clear outcome metrics, not just bed counts. East San José residents deserve both compassion for unhoused neighbors and safe, clean neighborhoods those aren’t in conflict.

Why should your district’s commuters vote for you? 

Because District 5 commuters spend more time in traffic and have fewer quality transit options than residents in wealthier parts of the city. I’ll fight for road maintenance that actually prioritizes East San José streets, better bus frequency on the corridors our residents use, and real accountability from VTA on service to our neighborhoods.

San Jose is facing a $56 million budget shortfall. With property and sales tax revenue growth slowing and labor costs rising, how should the city balance its budget? What specific programs or services would you cut? What contracts, if any, would you renegotiate?

Start with a real line-by-line audit of consultant contracts, administrative overhead, and anywhere costs have grown without measurable results. I won’t support balancing the budget on the backs of direct services that District 5 families depend on. Any renegotiation conversation should start with contracts where the city isn’t getting what it paid for.

San Jose PD spent more than $71 million in overtime last year. This year, it is on track to surpass its personnel services budget once again. What financial cuts or reforms will you demand of SJPD, if any?

San José is the safest big city in the United States, and that doesn’t happen by accident. It’s the result of exceptional officers doing exceptional work, and I intend to make sure they continue to have every tool and resource they need to maintain that standard. That’s actually why the overtime numbers matter to me, $71 million in overtime year after year isn’t sustainable, and unsustainable systems eventually break down. This isn’t about cutting public safety. It’s about protecting it for the long term. I’d want a transparent look at the staffing model and deployment patterns, not to find cuts, but to find solutions that keep our officers from being stretched thin and keep San José at the top of that list.

San Jose PD has an exceptional record closing murder cases, and the city has a low violent crime rate relative to many other big U.S. cities. But in what ways could SJPD better serve your district?

San José is the safest big city in the United States, and our officers deserve enormous credit for that. In District 5, I want to build on that foundation. East San José has historically not received the same level of presence and engagement as other parts of the city, not because our officers don’t care, but because resources and deployment decisions are made at a citywide level. I’d advocate for more community-facing presence in our neighborhoods, more bilingual officers who can build real relationships with our Latino and Vietnamese residents, and faster follow-through on quality-of-life calls that matter deeply to families, even when they don’t rise to the level of emergency. The goal isn’t to change what’s working; it’s to make sure District 5 gets its full share of the department’s excellence.

Explain your position on San Jose’s policy to cite and arrest homeless residents who repeatedly refuse shelter.

Enforcement only makes sense when real shelter is actually available. Citing people without a genuine alternative isn’t a solution it’s displacement. I support having enforcement as a last resort tool, but I’d require public reporting on shelter availability versus enforcement actions so we know whether the policy is being applied fairly and effectively.

Explain your position on San Jose’s use of Flock license plate cameras. 

In a community like East San José where residents have worked hard for safer streets, that crime-solving capability matters. But so does trust. Before expanding this program I’d want to make sure residents fully understand where the cameras are located, exactly how the data is used, how long it’s retained, and who has access to it. I’d push for clear public reporting and ironclad protections no use for immigration enforcement, strict retention limits, and real community oversight. The technology can be a genuine public safety asset for District 5, but only if our community understands it and trusts how it’s being managed. Transparency isn’t optional it’s how you bring people with you.

Should San Jose have more data centers than those already approved? Why or why not? 

Not without a serious reckoning with the tradeoffs. Data centers consume enormous amounts of water and energy, generate relatively few jobs, and occupy land that could house people. I’d support a pause on new approvals until the city has done a genuine cumulative impact analysis especially given the pressure on infrastructure in areas like East San José.

San Jose office vacancy rate remains stubbornly high post-pandemic. In downtown, offices sit empty and countless retail storefronts are boarded up. What policies do you support to revitalize the city’s downtown core?

Revitalizing downtown starts with vibrancy you don’t fill empty storefronts by waiting for businesses to show up, you create the conditions that make people want to come first. That means activating our downtown with farmers markets, cultural events, outdoor gatherings, and community programming that gives residents a reason to be there. When people are showing up, businesses follow. When businesses are thriving, the neighborhood becomes self-sustaining. Safety is the foundation of all of this. No amount of programming works if people don’t feel safe walking downtown. So the first investment has to be in making sure downtown San José is clean, well-lit, and has a visible, community-friendly presence that makes residents and visitors comfortable. From there we build streamline the conversion of empty office space into housing and mixed use, cut the red tape that keeps local and small business owners from opening their doors, and create real incentives for the kinds of service businesses and gathering spaces that make a neighborhood feel alive. Downtown belongs to everyone in San José, including District 5 families— and I want to make it a place they’re proud to bring their kids on a Saturday morning.

San Jose is attracting a fraction of Bay Area venture capital. And the city, relative to San Francisco, is weak in attracting seed- and early-stage startups, per overwhelming VC data reports. What should San Jose be doing to attract more tech, if anything at all?

San José has a secret weapon that it hasn’t fully leveraged our community colleges. Evergreen Valley College sits right in the heart of East San José and produces talented, skilled graduates who are ready to work. The pipeline from our colleges to local tech employers is underdeveloped and that’s a missed opportunity for both sides. I’d push to strengthen those partnerships so that companies looking to grow have a direct connection to local talent and so that District 5 residents have a real pathway into the tech economy, not just as service workers but as engineers, developers, and entrepreneurs. Beyond that, San José doesn’t need to out-incentivize San Francisco to win tech. It needs to be a city where people actually want to live affordable, safe, with great public spaces and a thriving street life. The livability investments we make downtown and in our neighborhoods are the most powerful tech attraction strategy we have. When the city works for working families it works for everyone including the startups we’re trying to recruit.

Have you been convicted of any felonies? If so, when and of what?  

No

Are you a plaintiff or a defendant in any current civil litigation? Please explain, if yes. 

Yes. I am a defendant in ongoing civil litigation with Alum Rock Union School District related to health benefit eligibility under California Government Code § 53208.5. The district seeks repayment based on prior policies. I did not serve on the board when those policies were adopted and had no role in their administration. I am cooperating fully and addressing the matter through the legal process.

What do the biggest contributors to your campaign expect from you? 

They expect me to show up for District 5 and govern with integrity. The support behind this campaign comes from people who believe East San José deserves real representation working families, educators, community advocates. That’s who I’ll govern for.

What more should we know about you that might inform our board’s judgment of your capacity to serve this district’s constituents?

I am the kitchen table candidate. I’ve spent my life in this community as a teen mom who experienced homelessness, as a neighbor, as a neighborhood association member, as a school board trustee, and as someone who has never stopped fighting for East San José. I know what it means to sit at that kitchen table and worry about rent, about your kids’ schools, about whether your neighborhood is safe, about whether the city even knows you exist. I’ve served on neighborhood associations, fought for resources for East San José, and built the relationships that make things actually move at the institutional level. As a trustee I’ve shown I can govern manage budgets, build coalitions, and make hard decisions. I’m not running to learn the job. I’m running because District 5 families deserve someone who has already been doing the work and who has never forgotten where she came from.