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<\/p>\nMayor Matt Mahan, who lost his bid for California governor, appears likely to maintain his governing majority on the City Council and to win a hotel tax hike that his budget relied on.<\/p>\n
Jun 2, 2026<\/p>\n
Updated 10:08 pm PT<\/p>\n
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An aerial view of downtown San Jose. There was no organized opposition to the tax hike.\u00a0(Helene Labriet-Gross\/AFP\/Getty Images)<\/p>\n
The council will vote on a final city budget next week, in the face of an estimated $50 million shortfall. An initial spending blueprint, released by the city manager in May, assumed voters would pass Measure A, which increases the tax paid by hotel guests from 10% to 12%.<\/p>\n
Measure A is expected to bring in $6.8 million in the upcoming fiscal year and $9.5 million annually in future years. The proposal won support from city leaders, along with both the South Bay Labor Council and the San Jos\u00e9 Chamber of Commerce. Supporters of Measure A argued the tax increase would allow the city to maintain services as it welcomes tourists downtown for major sporting and cultural events.<\/p>\n
There was no organized opposition to the tax hike.<\/p>\n
If Measure A were to fail, the city manager proposed cuts to Sunday library hours and downtown police foot patrol.<\/p>\n
While the current budget plan includes some cuts, including the elimination of 19 positions, the shortfall is largely filled by tapping $35 million from a budget reserve account.<\/p>\n
On the City Council, incumbent Councilmember Peter Ortiz received 45% of the vote in early returns<\/a>, which could land him in a runoff with either Nora Campos, a former state Assembly member and Vy Dang, a small-business owner \u2014 who have each received 20% of the vote. Ortiz, a leading progressive voice on the council, was the only incumbent not endorsed by Mahan.<\/p>\n Councilmember Bien Doan received backing from both business and labor in his bid for reelection in District 7, which covers Little Saigon and Seven Trees. Initial returns<\/a> on Tuesday showed Doan just short of the majority vote needed to avoid a runoff. Van Le, an East Side Union High School District board member, received 24% of the vote, trailed by electrician Rafael Garcia with 18%.<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/Aside-Results-2026-Local-Elections-Santa-Clara-County-1200x1200@2x.png\")
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