The verdict’s in. There will be no proposal for a 0.625-cent increase in the Santa Clara County sales tax on the Nov. 3 ballot after all.

Supervisors Joe Simitian and Mike Wasserman voted against taking this first step towards a sales tax boost.

A ¼-cent sales tax will bring in $40 million a year to San Jose’s general fund, which will help restore vital city services.

San Jose Inside editor Josh Koehn sat down for a interview last week with San Jose Mayor Chuck Reed. In the first part of their conversation, the two discuss the city's controversial pension reforms, the depleted police ranks, the current mayor's race, San Jose's lawsuit with Major League Baseball and Reed's insistence that he's not a closet Republican.

Though polling appeared to show San Jose voters are willing to pay more to restore public services, the City Council on Tuesday voted against placing a tax hike on the November ballot.

Don Rocha issued a scathing memo Friday in support of a general sales tax measure while calling out Mayor Chuck Reed and his bloc of Measure B supporters on the council, as well as the Mercury News editorial board. On Monday, Rocha doubled-down.

San Jose’s polling on a sales tax increase shows voters are ready to approve new revenues for city services, especially for police and fire. But is a tax increase merited?

Voters may get a chance to modify Measure B, if the City Council agrees to place proposed changes on the fall ballot.

San Jose voters appear open to paying higher taxes to restore services and doubling the tax on pot clubs, according to a new survey commissioned by the city.

San Jose Councilman Xavier Campos has proposed a half-cent sales tax measure so the city can hire more police officers. “Ideally, no one would want to increase taxes,” he writes in a memo going before the Rules and Open Government Committee on Wednesday. “However, this council has worked before on making tough fiscal decisions to increase services to our citizens.”

To catch the alleged serial arsonist who plagued downtown San Jose earlier this month, police relied on surveillance footage shared by residents to identify the suspect. Councilman Sam Liccardo is using that incident as a pitch to convince the public to submit their security camera footage to a central database monitored by law enforcement. Other items on the agenda include Councilman Xavier Campos’ half-cent sales tax proposal to restore police positions and Johnny Khamis asking for permission to kill more wild pigs in Almaden.

The new minimum wage law, Measure D, will take effect March 11, 2013. Many business owners I have spoken with plan to cover the increase in payroll costs by raising prices, reducing the hours of current employees and, in some case, simply eliminating positions altogether. But there is another option.

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

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

The first City Council meeting of the 2012-13 fiscal year Tuesday will feature votes on approving language for three major ballot initiatives for November: a sales and use tax increase, a proposal to raise the city’s minimum wage, and an increase in the number of card tables at the city’s two casinos.

As a councilmember, I interact with many different people on a regular basis and have a chance to observe the different stages of life. One day I might meet a newly engaged couple and, behold, they are married with kids who attend the local elementary school. Or it could be a young family and the next thing I know I am shaking their son or daughter’s hand at a high school graduation ceremony.