Moryt Milo

2 weeks ago | sanjosespotlight.com | Moryt Milo

Accountability. Honesty. Reliability. The next District 3 San Jose councilmember is going to need all three in spades. Residents will be watching and expecting their newly-elected representative to uplift the downtown and help wash away the stain laid upon their neighborhood by disgraced former Councilman Omar Torres. A special election on April 8 will determine who fills the seat and applies those principles. The most significant of the three qualities is honesty.

2 months ago | sanjosespotlight.com | Moryt Milo

To bring homelessness to “functional zero,” San Jose will need to commit hundreds of millions of dollars in the coming years to be able to say the number of people exiting homelessness is greater than those becoming homeless — unless city officials rethink their approach. Building more temporary shelters, tiny homes and safe parking and sleeping sites may appear to be an expeditious way to get unhoused people off the streets.

Dec 27, 2024 | sanjosespotlight.com | Moryt Milo

It’s been quite a year for Santa Clara County. Local elections dominated much of 2024, bringing new faces into government and long-term officials bidding farewell. Other than a congressional race that began with a historic three-way runoff and recount in the primaries and an onslaught of political accusations throughout the season, the outcomes ended without a hitch. The same can’t be said about other decisions which have rolled into 2025, leaving officials with formidable challenges.

Nov 22, 2024 | sanjosespotlight.com | Moryt Milo

The flight of families due to the high cost of living in Santa Clara County has caused school enrollment numbers to crash in East and North San Jose — and it doesn’t look like that’s going to change in the coming years. Alum Rock and Berryessa union school districts are predicting enrollment declines of 27% and 22%, respectively. Franklin-McKinley School District is also predicting a 22% drop.

Oct 25, 2024 | sanjosespotlight.com | Ramona Giwargis |Moryt Milo

It’s been two weeks since San Jose Councilmember Omar Torres’ shocking text messages were exposed in legal documents. The disturbing messages show the 43-year-old bragging about performing oral sex on a 17-year-old male on a college campus, describing the genitalia of an autistic 11-year-old boy and asking a Chicago man if he’s got “homies under 18” for a sexual encounter. Torres has since gone into hiding and dodged public meetings. And yet Torres remains in office.