The Federal Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) announced on Dec. 18 a new initiative for addressing homeless young adults ages 18-24, usually referred to as “transition-age youth.” According to the NY Times, the Obama administration is focusing on this new and growing homeless population. While the recession hit all age groups, young adults were particularly hard hit with unemployment.

Earlier this year, a group of former elected officials lent their support to an initiative that would have secured funding for San Jose’s libraries. The initiative, which failed to make it on the ballot, had a number of critics, including one Mercury News editor known for sending ill-advised emails.

Tonight marks the start of another series of community meetings designed to garner input about a prospective Police Chief. But what if the best choice is already right here at home?

Metro reported this week that Supervisor George Shirakawa—the top elected official in the county—has been submitting fraudulent expense reports. He has spent thousands of dollars on lavish dinners, alcohol and luxury hotel rooms and rental cars with a county credit card. Amazingly, he avoided detection despite two audits of his county credit card purchases. Many of the people Shirakawa treated to meals were unaware that taxpayers were picking up the tab, and have since sent checks reimbursing the county. This group includes San Jose Police Chief Chris Moore.

Election Day is one week away and the results will tell us the kind of schools and school leaders we will have. I have two very quick pleas for the public good.

Team San Jose announced Tuesday that CEO Bill Sherry, who also serves as the director of aviation for Norman Y. Mineta San Jose International Airport, will retire in September 2013. A nationwide search for Sherry’s replacement is expected to begin early next year.

Voters will elect representatives and decide state and local governments’ fiscal futures in this year’s election. Here are Metro‘s endorsements for the local measures on the Nov. 6 ballot.—Editor

One of the first actions of Tuesday’s City Council meeting will be a commendation honoring Santana Row’s 10th anniversary. Another will note the heroism of Robert Sotelo, who saved a woman from a burning house. From there, the topics touch on a host of city issues, from deferring a tax break for San Jose’s biggest companies and an updated report on graffiti to a government program to retrain people laid off from Solyndra.

San Jose Inside’s Josh Koehn sat down with City Manager Debra Figone for a rare extended interview in late August. The following is an excerpted transcript of their discussion, which touched on Measure B, Figone’s relationship with the mayor and council, her thoughts on the performance of Police Chief Chris Moore, crime in San Jose and when she plans to retire. It should be noted that this interview took place before Moore’s announcement that he will retire from his position at the end of January 2013—Editor

After filing papers to run for a second four-year term for my County Board of Education Trustee seat, I learned on the Aug. 10 deadline that no one filed papers to run against me. Therefore, I am automatically re-elected. This is a great and unexpected result, but one that is not so good for providing me a campaign forum to raise some of the most critical issues of our time.

It’s been a while since Mayor Chuck Reed’s opponents won a battle in San Jose’s pension reform war. But a report released Tuesday by the state auditor’s office says that city officials may have played a little too fast and loose when stating the worst-case scenario for San Jose’s unfunded liability for retirement benefits. In the report, State Auditor Elaine Howle writes that a review of the mayor and other councilmembers’ use of the number $650 million, when discussing the city’s potential liability for retiree pensions and health benefits, was “unsupported and likely overstated.”

San Jose State can’t even claim to be a commuter school anymore. A news release sent out by the university last week announced it won’t accept new students from California for the Spring 2013 semester—but SJSU will allow students to apply from outside the state and country to reel in extra tuition fees.

And we’re back! The Rules Committee gets to business Wednesday after a six-week layoff, and among the items on the docket are the city clerk’s library initiative gaffe, a push for less transparency regarding election swag, a review of public officials’ calendars and a City Hall gadfly offering his services to lead a department.

At the upcoming Aug. 7 City Council meeting, the discussion will focus on how to prioritize city spending IF revenues increase. So, in the example below, if revenues increase by $10 million—either by revenue growth or tax increase—this is how I think it should be spent by percentage.

I don’t necessarily agree that an individual city could ever build enough housing for the homeless or extremely low income housing, as more individuals would come. However, there may be a more cost-effective solution for a portion of the homeless population that could also help reunite families.

The Santa Clara County Board of Supervisors recently passed its $4 billion annual budget, and in one of her last meaningful acts, Supervisor Liz Kniss, who will be termed out at the end of the year, recommended that the county give $47,000 to Palo Alto Animal Services. This wouldn’t be that big of a deal—the amount accounts for .001 percent of the budget—except for the fact that the animal shelter is in no way related to county business. Oh, and there’s one other important detail: Kniss is running for a seat on the Palo Alto City Council this fall.