The government of
San Jose, officially the City of San José, operates as a
charter city
Home rule in the United States relates to the authority of a constituent part of a U.S. state to exercise powers of governance (i.e., whether such powers must be specifically delegated to it by the state—typically by legislative action—or a ...
within
California law
The law of California consists of several levels, including Constitutional law, constitutional, Statutory law, statutory, and regulatory law, as well as case law. The California Codes form the general statutory law, and most state agency regulat ...
under the ''San José City Charter''.
City of San José - San José City Charter
/ref> The elected government of the city, which operates as a council–manager government
The council–manager government is a form of local government commonly used for municipalities and counties in the United States and Ireland, in New Zealand regional councils, and in Canadian municipalities. In the council-manager government, ...
, is composed of the Mayor of San Jose
In many countries, a mayor is the highest-ranking official in a municipal government such as that of a city or a town. Worldwide, there is a wide variance in local laws and customs regarding the powers and responsibilities of a mayor as well as ...
(currently Matt Mahan
Matthew William Mahan (born November 18, 1982) is an American politician and tech entrepreneur who has served as the Mayor of San Jose, California, mayor of San Jose . He previously served as the District 10 Councilmember representing the A ...
), the San Jose City Council
The San Jose City Council, officially San José City Council, is the legislature
A legislature (, ) is a deliberative assembly with the legal authority to make laws for a political entity such as a country, nation or city on behalf of t ...
, and several other elected offices.
The greater public administration of San Jose includes numerous entities, including the San Jose Police Department
The San Jose Police Department (SJPD) is the police agency for San Jose, California. The San Jose Police Department is led by Chief of Police Paul Joseph.
The department makes its calls for service available to the public; it is the first Am ...
, the San Jose Fire Department, and the San Jose Public Library, as well as a mix of state and county level institutions.
Organization
San Jose utilizes a council–manager government
The council–manager government is a form of local government commonly used for municipalities and counties in the United States and Ireland, in New Zealand regional councils, and in Canadian municipalities. In the council-manager government, ...
, composed of the mayor, city council, several elected officers, and numerous other entities.
Mayor
Current mayor
The current mayor of San Jose is Matt Mahan
Matthew William Mahan (born November 18, 1982) is an American politician and tech entrepreneur who has served as the Mayor of San Jose, California, mayor of San Jose . He previously served as the District 10 Councilmember representing the A ...
, beginning his first term as a councilmember, in 2020 and as mayor in 2022.
Former mayors
City Council
The legislative body is composed of the 11-member San Jose City Council
The San Jose City Council, officially San José City Council, is the legislature
A legislature (, ) is a deliberative assembly with the legal authority to make laws for a political entity such as a country, nation or city on behalf of t ...
, which is made up of 10 councilmembers, each representing and elected by a district, and the Mayor of San Jose elected citywide. The City Council is empowered by the City Charter to formulate citywide policy, adopt laws or ordinances, and approve city budgets.
Council appointees
The City Council appoints five officials to manage the City organization and support the City Council for effective governance:
*City Manager
A city manager is an official appointed as the administrative manager of a city in the council–manager form of city government. Local officials serving in this position are referred to as the chief executive officer (CEO) or chief administ ...
* City Auditor
*City Clerk
A clerk (pronounced "clark" /klɑːk/ in British and Australian English) is a senior official of many municipal governments in the English-speaking world. In some communities, including most in the United States, the position is elected, but in ma ...
* City Attorney
* Independent Police Auditor
References
External links
Official Site of the City of San Jose
{{California topic, Government of