Mayor Mahan draws crowd to Clubhouse

San Jose Mayor Matt Mahan can fill a room. More than 250 Villagers turned out in force to hear him explain his budget proposals for the city and to answer audience questions at Senior Academy’s annual Harrington event on April 7. An articulate, energized speaker, the Mayor spent a lot of his time discussing his priorities and tying the city’s challenges to economic realities. A top focus was addressing the unhoused in the city, and public safety and increasing staffing for fire and police forces. Councilmember Domingo Candelas was also in attendance and said a few words. 

Of particular interest was an audience question about a recent proposal to charge a fee to those who call 9-1-1 for medical assistance. Mahan explained that the effort is to recapture some of the huge expense of providing this service—but from the insurance companies who insure residents—not from residents themselves. Another key point was his focus on accountability, especially for city department heads. He proposes to tie any salary boosts beyond cost-of-living increases to performance criteria.

Mayor Mahan aimed to leave attendees reassured that the city’s leadership was in good hands. Our thanks to the Mayor for joining us at The Villages.