Valley Politics

Valley Politics February 2023: Mayor Sam Liccardo Exit Interview As San Jose’s new mayor takes over, former mayor Sam Liccardo reflects on his years in office, including the accomplishments he’s most proud of and his disappointments with programs and policies that fell short. Our wide-ranging conversation covered pension reform, the state of the City budget, “smart” government, the City’s failure to solve the persistent problem of hundreds of open positions, and how the City missed his goal of building 25,000 housing units by 2022, as well as his advice to the new mayor on how to work with a divided council and his own plans for the future. Liccardo once said being mayor was the best job in government. We asked him if he still thought so. Our February 2023 Valley Politics concludes with a short tribute to local Latina leader Bea Robinson Mendez, who passed away in January. Tags: Sam Liccardo, pension reform, “smart” government, Bea Robinson Mendez