Santa Clara needs to come to terms with its new identity as a big city and update the way it does business.

Seven months after being forced out as San Jose’s city manager, Ed Shikada is set to accept a permanent role as assistant city manager in Palo Alto.

Norbert Dueñas has spent the past 30 years working for the city of San Jose, steadily moving up the ladder until becoming the city’s top employee in December. On Tuesday, a decision was announced that he will remain in his role as city manager, minus the “interim” tag.

A recent San Jose Inside story uncovered the hubris exhibited at the top levels of our city’s government. The piece shatters the mythology that “professional” governance is somehow better than elected leadership. But salacious details aside, the fact remains that San Jose will remain a second-class city until we adopt a strong-mayor form of government.

San Jose Inside has learned that allegations of inappropriate relationships, threats of violence and overzealous internal investigations have split the city manager’s office into factions. On Friday, the office’s third top-level executive will resign—but not before parting with a $100,000 severance package.

The San Jose City Council has finally realized that staff keeps bringing back the same old thing on medical marijuana: a ban in the guise of regulations. Here’s a sensible plan that will actually work.

There are currently at least three efforts to change the landscape and ambiance of St. James Park.

Following a closed session meeting for the City Council on Tuesday morning, San Jose City Manager Debra Figone announced that Ed Shikada will take over her role when she retires in December.

Community members will have a chance to weigh in on San Jose’s gang-prevention efforts at a series of town hall meetings this fall. The Mayor’s Gang Prevention Task Force will host four meetings this month through November to gather input about the city’s efforts to suppress local gang activity.

San Jose City Manager Debra Figone announced this week she will retire after overseeing city operations for six years. Her tenure, which will come to an end in December, has marked some of the most difficult years in the city’s history, as the City Council enacted layoffs and pay cuts to cope with historic budget deficits. Her departure will likely leave the city with an interim city manager, police chief and fire chief, all while the 2014 mayoral race is in full swing.