For George Casey, the impetus to run for San Jose City Council came from an event that left him frustrated because he thought the city wasn’t doing more to protect its residents.
A few years ago, her mother’s purse was stolen. Despite recording the incident on video, the police told them there was nothing they could do. They did not have the resources to pursue petty thefts. Casey was left wondering how the big city, once the safest in the country, had become ineffective in tackling crime. Seeing that the city wasn’t working for its residents, the former planning commissioner jumped into the race to change the system.
“I decided to run primarily because I didn’t want anyone else’s mother, sister or daughter to suffer what my mother suffered, because it was the first time I felt helpless,” Casey told San José Spotlight. “And the idea that this big city, possibly the richest city in the country, didn’t have enough police officers… I can’t tell you how frustrating that was for me.”
Casey, 52, is running for the District 10 seat against Councilman Arjun Batra, who was appointed to the seat in 2023. The seat became vacant in late 2022 after voters elected then-District 10 Councilman Matt Mahan as mayor. It’s a close race, with Casey holding a 2% lead over Batra after the March election. Primary District 10 covers the Santa Teresa and Almaden areas in south San Jose.
Casey’s family moved to San Jose when he was 7 years old. He grew up in Santa Teresa and has lived in Almaden for almost 45 years. If he is elected, Casey said his priorities will be public safety, hiring more police, clearing encampments and addressing the housing and homelessness crisis. Casey has two master’s degrees: one in urban planning from San Jose State University and another in real estate development from the University of California, Berkeley. He also earned a law degree from Santa Clara University and works as a senior advisor and vice president of Unlock Technologies. He worked for four years on the San José Planning Commission.
When she began searching for answers as to why the San Jose Police Department did not have the resources necessary to address her mother’s case, she discovered that the city was short between 400 and 500 officers. He learned that some traveled an hour or two because they couldn’t afford to live in the city.
To address these issues, Casey said he wants to create an ecosystem where the city can attract and retain officers.
“We have a problem with staffing,” Casey told San José Spotlight. “We currently have funds to hire 100 more police officers. We cannot fill those positions at this time.”
Casey wants to create a channel for middle school, high school and college students to meet law enforcement officers. She wants to create a down payment assistance program so agents can buy a home in the city as a way to keep them from leaving to work in other cities.
Casey, who has experience in urban planning and on the planning commission, said he has an inside view of how real estate markets and development work. He wants to revitalize the city center and support businesses by tackling blight and crime. He said the city’s onerous regulatory environment is what prevents investors from entering. The Planning Department is short-staffed, causing delays in the permitting process for real estate developments, she said.
“Right now, there are people, investors and developers, who as a matter of policy do not want to do business in San Jose,” Casey said. “That’s why we have to change that image.”
From June 2021 to December 2022, Casey advised Z&L Properties, where he helped the troubled company sell land from its failed projects in the Bay Area. Casey maintains that he joined Z&L after former CEO Zhang Li admitted to bribing San Francisco officials between 2015 and 2020, and that his role was to help Z&L exit the San Francisco market. José.
To address the housing crisis and lack of affordable housing in the city, Casey proposes increasing the housing supply by building naturally more affordable starter homes, such as condominiums and townhomes.
Casey said there isn’t enough urgency when it comes to solving the homelessness crisis and that the county needs to play a bigger role. He sees building more tiny houses as the quickest solution to ending homelessness. However, he wants these places to require drug treatment, mental health services and job training.
Casey is endorsed by Mahan, Santa Clara County District Attorney Jeff Rosen, County Assessor Larry Stone, former District 10 Councilman Johnny Khamis, Downtown San Jose Association President Emily Ruvalcaba, Citizens by Fiscal Responsibility, Families and Homes of San José and the San José Police Officers Association.
“George Casey’s commitment to San José is clear: he has served voluntarily as a planning commissioner for the past four years and has demonstrated his independence as a leader willing to work with the community to drive solutions,” Mahan told San José Spotlight. “He earned the respect and trust of voters by finishing first in the primary, because they recognize that we need a leader who will work for the residents of District 10 on the issues that matter most to them.”
Casey said that with his motivation to protect San Jose residents, his deep roots in the city, professional experience and vision to revitalize the city, he is prepared to represent District 10.
“I will ensure that our citizens always get the deal we are negotiating, and we will never be taken advantage of in any negotiation,” Casey said.
Contact Joyce Chu at [email protected] or @joyce_speaks on X, formerly known as Twitter.
