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PAst accomplishments

Advocating For
Legislation That
Shapes The
Economic Prosperity
Of This Region

As a key stakeholder in the City of San Jose it is our duty
to fight against any policies that may impact the economic
health and future of our city. When we speak up, the City of San Jose listens. elected. We believe that when business succeed, communities thrive

LEARN ABOUT OUR Current Policy Wins
Testimonials

How Our Advocacy Efforts Have Helped Our Members

The SVO advocated at various community & city meetings!

“The SVO partnered with Google after learning about our approach and perspective, and was ultimately able to effectively provide advocacy support. The SVO advocated at various community and city meetings, gathered letters supporting Google’s presence in San Jose, and rallied support from San Jose-based small businesses and community organizations."

Javier Gonzalez
Government Affairs & Public Policy Manager, Google
We couldn't have done it without the SVO's support!

"The SVO is a critical resource for our business when it comes to fostering an environment that continues to attract and retain the best and brightest in Silicon Valley. The cost of housing is just one of the many issues we face in maintaining our global advantage.  Educating policy makers, City staff and neighbors on the issues has never been more important. We appreciate the SVO's advocacy and leadership on issues that directly impact our residents’ ability to afford a home like development impact fees, workforce standards and land use policies.  The SVO was instrumental in moving forward the City of San Jose’s recently adopted co-living ordinance at the speed of business and we couldn’t have done it without the SVO’s support.

Shawn Milligan
Partner, KT Urban
The SVO was integral in advocating!

"In 2015, The SVO was integral in advocating in support of state funding being allocated to the East Side Union High School District (ESUHSD) through the California Careet Pathways Trust (CCPT) program. Since then, The SVO has partnered with the school district through its STRIVE San Jose initiative and the San Jose Works program to provide paid summer internships to local high school students, thus preparing them for college and career. California currently faces a crisis of an estimated 1.1 million college-educated worker shortage by 2030, and this partnership helps to address this issue through a comprehensive and strategic education and workforce development initiative."

Tim Nguyen
Director of Career Services, East Side Union High School District
2010 - 2020

Advocacy Wins By The Year

2020

Business & Faith Leaders Successfully Called for a Safe Reopening of the Economy

The SVO spearheaded a coalition of 16 Chambers of Commerce, small business owners, and numerous faith leaders throughout Silicon Valley. We organized a media advocacy campaign to call upon Santa Clara County to safely reopen shuttered small, minority-owned businesses and to allow workers, who are on the cusp of poverty and disproportionately impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic, to get back to work. Our coalition pressed the county to find a responsible balance between life with COVID-19 and small business survival. We successfully advocated to allow a safe reopening of the economy that permitted: indoor dining (at 25% capacity), indoor gatherings for worship (at 25% capacity) and a broad and safe reopening of the regional economy.

2020

Championed a $100 Million Small Business Relief Fund

As a direct result of our small business advocacy, the Santa Clara County Board of Supervisors voted to establish a low-interest loan program to support our local, small businesses. As the first county in the state to take bold leadership on an initiative of this kind, Santa Clara County invested $25 million into a partnership with the California Rebuilding Fund, which leveraged private matching dollars to eventually invest up to $100 million to support small businesses in Silicon Valley.

2020

Crafted a Pragmatic Commercial Linkage Fee

The SVO organized a roundtable of 60+ employers and commercial developers to discuss how to craft an impact fee structure that did not penalize job creation opportunities in the City of San Jose. Commercial real estate is vital for bringing good-paying, middle class jobs that would benefit our residents and would increase the city's fiscal resiliency during COVID-19. We delivered on a fee structure that would increase affordable housing dollars and would still allow for local job creation.

2020

Advocated for a Sensible Paid Sick Leave Ordinance

We successfully advocated for a pragmatic paid sick leave urgency ordinance that protected both workers and small businesses from COVID-19. Allowing workers to quarantine without having to worry about choosing between their job or their health. The pragmatic policy permitted exemptions for employers who provided a combination of paid personal leave, instead of simply mandating an additional 80 hours of COVID-19 specific paid leave.

2020

DoorDash Grants for Small Restaurants

The SVO partnered with DoorDash to provide $5,000 grants for restaurants in select cities, including San Jose, as part of their Main Street Strong Initiative to help restaurants survive during the pandemic.

2020

Allowing Businesses to Operate Outdoors (San Jose Al Fresco)

The SVO participated in a press conference and successfully advocated for the implementation of the San Jose Al Fresco program, which expanded businesses outdoors while the county’s public health orders continued to restrict indoor operations. This policy win allowed numerous businesses to survive by increasing revenue opportunities and driving their customer foot traffic.

2018

Google To Downtown San Jose

The SVO promoted the arrival of Google and their investment in the City of San Jose as an incredible opportunity to add thousands of new good paying jobs that will grow incremental tax revenue, in turn supporting essential city services for all local residents. The SVO advocated for this by urging the Mayor and Council to approve council items regarding Google’s arrival to San Jose, as well as supported city staff recommendations regarding Google.

2018

Emergency Bridge Housing

A program dedicated to housing homeless individuals by constructing 80 emergency sleeping cabins with the intent to provide an immediate housing solution. The SVO recognized the importance of ensuring homeless individuals with basic necessities such as shelter, hygiene services, and case management as a way to combat homelessness. The SVO advocated and partnered with city staff to engage in policy exchange and advocated for this short term solution with hopes that it will translate to a permanent housing policy.

2017

Federal Tax Reform

Federal tax reform lowers the corporate interest rate with the intention to support job creation and encourage further corporate investments in the American economy. The SVO advocated for this, and other principles through advocacy letters, highlighting the importance of a nuanced tax structure that also supports small business and property owners.

2016

Downtown High-Rise Incentive Program

A fee reduction program that works to waive certain fees associated with building to promote and streamline the construction of High-Rises in the downtown core. The SVO is committed to the implementation of the program through active advocacy that showcases the tangible benefits of creating housing stock in the downtown core.

2016

Measure A - Homeless Housing

Under scoring the urgency of the issue facing the community, Matt Mahood, executive director of the Silicon Valley Chamber of Commerce, and Ben Field, Chief Officer of the South Bay Labor Council, were appointed leads in a new Task Force that finds immediate solutions to help our growing homeless population find housing. The Task Force worked to find opportunities to expand the region’s emergency shelters, provide transitional housing, and create permanent housing.

2015

California Career Pathways Trust Grant

A grant that funds programs which blend academic and career technical education, connect employers with schools, and train students for jobs in high-demand fields, such as health care, advanced manufacturing, information technology, and software development. The SVO is committed to helping offer work-based learning experiences to students by; sharing contacts among our growing network of partners and serving on the MetroED Consortium business partner advisory council to give input on all issues related to education, jobs and training.

2015

U.S. Patent Office In The Silicon Valley

The U.S. Patent Office is an organization that processes and formalizes patents. The SVO advocated for the establishment of the office in the Silicon Valley by emphasizing the competitive advantages of the valley as a top producer of patents along with the unique concentration of engineers, multinational corporations, and technological sectors that drive innovation.

2013

Signature Flight Support's New Fixed-Based Operation

The SVO testified and coalesced support for Signature Flight Support, a global leader in FBO and flight support services, to be awarded a 50-year lease on the Airport’s West Side to develop and operate a 29-acre, $82 million facility. This support rains from the resources that Signature Flight Support can offer to further business and general aviation needs as Silicon Valley continues to expand.

2013

Approval for Apple Campus 2

Apple proposed to create Apple Campus 2 - an integrated, unified and secure 21st Century campus surrounded by green space where innovation and creativity come together. The SVO supported Apple’s endeavors through advocacy letters, and highlighted the importance of companies like Apple in local economies.

Latest Posts

From Our Blog

Press Releases
Assessor Larry Stone urges Business Owners to Provide Equipment Valuation Information
Property Tax Relief for Business Owners
Mar 19, 2021
COVID 19 Resource Center
Changes to Paycheck Protection Program and Second Draw PPP Loan
At the end of 2020, Congress passed, and President Trump signed, a new law that provides for additional relief related to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. This law, the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2021 (CAA, 2021), includes a second draw of Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loans (PPP Second Draw Loans) and updates to the original PPP loan. It also allows businesses to deduct ordinary and necessary expenses paid from the proceeds of PPP loans.
Feb 18, 2021
Petrinovich Pugh & Co LLP
Members News
Black History Month at the African American Community Service Agency
The African American Community Service Agency has a variety of events coming up in honor of Black History Month. If you are not able to engage in some of their upcoming events you can also find a link to donate to their organization.
Feb 8, 2021
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