Neighborhoods

Mayor Gonzales made quality of life in San Jose neighborhoods one of his highest priorities when he took office, leading to a renewed reinvestment and redevelopment of the communities most important to San Jose residents.  The Strong Neighborhoods Initiative, which he launched in 1999, has focused the San Jose Redevelopment Agency and community resources to revitalize neighborhoods under the guidance of actively engaged residents, grass-roots organizations, and local businesses. It has become a national model for successful community reinvestment.

Gonzales has championed San Jose ’s successful efforts to wipe out graffiti and reduce litter throughout the city, and by 2006 the program had achieved a remarkable 99% reduction of graffiti compared to 1999 levels.  He led the community campaigns to win overwhelming voter approval of bonds to expand and upgrade neighborhood parks, libraries, and fire stations throughout San Jose in order to catch up from decades of prior neglect. Over the past eight years, San Jose has been recognized as one of the nation’s most livable cities.

Affordable Housing

Under Gonzales’s leadership over the past eight years, the City of San Jose has led California cities with the creation of more than 10,000 affordable homes.  San Jose has used innovative partnerships with housing developers, businesses, and private and public agency lenders to meet the ongoing challenge of ensuring families at all income levels can afford homes in one of the most expensive housing markets in the country. 

Education

Mayor Gonzales also has made San Jose a valuable partner with local school districts to help every child achieve success.  Unique programs such as the San Jose Teacher Homebuyer Program have made San Jose a very teacher-friendly city, and as of summer 2006 more than 500 public school teachers have purchased their first homes with the help of the City’s zero-interest loans. 

His support for the establishment of the San Jose Education Foundation in 2006 has created a strong and valuable voice to help San Jose schools, teachers, and students with continuous improvement.  During Gonzales’s terms in office, San Jose’s 19 school districts, collectively, have achieved the best academic performance compared to California’s other major urban school systems. 

Public Safety

San Jose has consistently secured the distinction of being the Safest Big City in America during the time Gonzales has served as Mayor.  This is the result of excellent police and fire departments, a strong commitment to community partnerships, and high level of public accountability for public safety programs.  The Mayor’s Gang Prevention Task Force has earned a national reputation for its effective community collaborations that have successfully reduced gang violence and helps young people achieve productive lives.

Transportation and Economic Development

The Mayor has taken a regional approach to solving Silicon Valley 's challenge for transportation, smart growth, and environmental protection. His leadership in 2000 led to a remarkable voter approval of a 30-year, $6 billion program to expand transit improvements in Santa Clara County, and Gonzales has spearheaded the regional effort to connect BART to San Jose and Silicon Valley. Gonzales also provided the leadership that enabled the city to begin long-needed improvements to San Jose Mineta International Airport that will result in a competitive, convenient, and comfortable gateway for Silicon Valley .

Personal Background

Before his election as Mayor of San Jose, Gonzales worked as an executive with the Hewlett-Packard Company, where he led a national education initiative that established partnerships between HP, local school districts, and universities. 

Gonzales served for eight years (1989-1996) on the Santa Clara County Board of Supervisors. While Chair of the Board, he introduced technology into county government and launched the County’s performance-based budgeting system. As a member and twice mayor of the Sunnyvale City Council (1979-87), Gonzales helped initiate and implement successful governmental efficiency systems that were recognized in the best-selling book, “Reinventing Government,” by David Osborne and Ted Gaebler.

Mayor Gonzales is involved in numerous civic organizations, and he is especially proud to be the founder of The Role Model Program, a grassroots initiative that recruits adult role models to visit local middle schools. He has served as chair of the National League of Cities Youth, Education, and Families Council, which develops and overseeing NLC policies aimed at improving opportunities and quality of life for youth and families.  He is a recipient of the Point of Light Award, a national honor given to individuals who have made significant contributions to their community. He was recognized as Legislator of the Year by the California Preservation Foundation for his long-term commitment to saving historical buildings.  Mayor Gonzales is also a founding board member of Downtown College Prep, Santa Clara County ’s first charter high school, which focuses on the academic success of high school students from the San Jose central city area.

Gonzales attended DeAnza Community College in Cupertino , and received his bachelor’s degree from the University of California, Santa Cruz.  He graduated from the Mayors Leadership Program at Harvard University 's Kennedy School of Government. He is also an American Leadership Forum Fellow.  Born in San Francisco in 1951, Gonzales grew up in Santa Clara County where he attended local public schools.