Questions Raised Over Mayor's Pay, Attendance

San Jose Mayor Matt Mahan is facing new scrutiny over how he has balanced City Hall duties with his campaign for California governor. Bay Area News Group reported on May 21 that Mahan missed seven of 19 City Council meetings and study sessions over roughly 3½ months while continuing to receive the mayor’s full salary and benefits. The attendance record landed as San Jose works through another budget cycle and as Mahan asks voters to elevate him to statewide office. City budget documents and earlier local reporting show the campaign has overlapped with a period of fiscal pressure and spring budget negotiations. ### How many meetings did Mahan miss? Bay Area News Group said Matt Mahan missed seven of 19 San Jose council meetings and study sessions during the first 3½ months of his gubernatorial campaign. The newspaper reported that amounted to more than a third of the sessions held during that stretch. (mercurynews.com) The Mercury News said several of the absences coincided with campaign events or debates as Mahan traveled the state. That review focused on council meetings and study sessions, which are central parts of the mayor’s public governing schedule. ### What is the mayor paid while serving in office? (mercurynews.com) The City of San Jose’s salary-setting records show the city reviewed and set base pay for the mayor and council members effective July 1, 2024. The city’s compensation materials say total compensation includes salary and cash payments as well as benefits such as health insurance, retirement benefits, paid holidays and sick leave. (mercurynews.com) The Mercury News described Mahan as drawing the region’s second-most expensive salary for his day job while he campaigned. The paper’s separate report on pay and attendance framed the issue around the mayor’s full-time compensation package rather than a reduced or part-time arrangement during the statewide race. ### Why is the timing drawing attention now? (sanjose.legistar.com) January 30 marked Mahan’s launch into the governor’s race, according to KQED, and the campaign began just as San Jose moved toward its annual budget process. KQED reported at the time that the city faced fiscal headwinds and that Mahan’s statewide run would overlap with the busiest part of the year at City Hall. (mercurynews.com) KQED reported in January that the city manager’s office had projected a $55 million to $65 million budget shortfall. That estimate became part of the early argument from critics who said the mayor’s outside campaign would compete with demands at home, while Mahan told KQED, “I still wake up every day thinking about my primary job, which is being mayor.” (kqed.org) ### What have critics inside City Hall said? Councilmember Pamela Campos told KQED in January that Mahan had used city communications to his political benefit and that decisions driven by what “sounds good” are not always best for the community. Her comments came before the latest attendance review but reflected an existing split on the council over whether the governor’s run was a distraction. (kqed.org) The attendance figures added a new, measurable point for critics. Bay Area News Group tied the seven missed sessions directly to the period in which Mahan has campaigned on accountability and results. ### What comes next in the city’s budget process? The City of San Jose says Mayor Matt’s June budget message will be published on June 1 and presented to the council on June 9, 2026. (kqed.org) That meeting is the next formal milestone in the city’s budget process and will take place days after the June 2 primary referenced on the mayor’s budget office page. (mercurynews.com) The city’s budget pages also show ongoing 2026-27 study sessions, manager’s addenda and a five-year forecast. Those documents will be the public record to watch as Mahan, council members and city staff finish the budget while the governor’s campaign continues. (sanjoseca.gov) (sanjoseca.gov)