Mayor Lisa M. Gilmore delivered the 2025 State of the City address at Wilcox High School on Oct. 24, outlining priorities for housing, infrastructure, public safety and economic development as Santa Clara prepares to host major global sporting events in 2026.

The mayor said the year’s theme is “shaping tomorrow, celebrating today,” and presented a set of near‑term and longer‑term investments aimed at maintaining Santa Clara’s role as a hub for data centers and AI while preserving community amenities. “Where the mission meets the moment” was introduced as the campaign slogan for the city’s 2026 events activations, Gilmore said.

Gilmore emphasized the economic role of data centers and the local municipal utility. She said Santa Clara hosts more than 55 data centers — the largest cluster on the West Coast — and that data centers and utility revenues contributed “more than $40,000,000 into our general fund” in the last fiscal year, which the mayor said accounts for roughly 13% of the general fund. The mayor credited Silicon Valley Power (SVP) with providing competitive electricity rates and announced a planned doubling of SVP capacity from about 700 megawatts to 1,300 megawatts over the next decade, funded in part by “$455,000,000 in projects” to rebuild and expand receiving stations and secure transmission lines. Gilmore said SVP rates are “59% lower than PG&E for residents and 43% lower for industry and business,” and described SVP as a source of utility tax revenue that supports city services.

Gilmore discussed private‑sector investment tied to AI and chips. She cited local work by NVIDIA, including an expansion of campus operations and acquisitions of nearby properties, and described a partnership the city was told exists between NVIDIA and OpenAI that the mayor characterized as “a deal worth up to $100,000,000,000.” She attributed job and training opportunities to that private‑sector activity and pointed to Mission College’s AI workforce program as a local training pipeline supported by NVIDIA.

On housing and development, Gilmore highlighted growth in the Uptown/Clara District and said seven new high‑rise buildings opened this year with nearly 2,000 dwelling units. She said the city has prioritized affordable housing in new development, though an exact figure the mayor referenced for affordable project openings since 2022 was unclear in the address. Gilmore also said no formal applications had been filed for the Great America site and pledged community engagement if proposals are filed.

Downtown development is a stated priority: the mayor said the city will invite proposals for key city‑owned blocks near Lafayette, Homestead and Monroe after the city completes state and local mandated groundwork for a downtown precise plan. She described the goal as delivering “a vibrant, walkable, community‑centered downtown.”

Measure I, the $400,000,000 general obligation bond approved by voters last November with nearly 70% support, was a central topic. Gilmore said Measure I will fund modernized fire stations, upgraded police facilities, renovated parks and libraries, storm‑drain improvements and other capital projects she framed as long‑term investments in safety and city infrastructure.

On public safety and community programs, the mayor described new and ongoing efforts: a BRAVE program delivered to fourth graders in partnership with Santa Clara Unified School District, mobile hygiene and laundry services for people experiencing homelessness, expanded partnerships for mental‑health navigation and the city’s Vision Zero strategy to reduce traffic fatalities and serious injuries. Gilmore said the fire department responds to more than 11,000 calls annually, that nearly 80% of those calls are medical related, and that the department drew more than 1,000 applicants in its last recruitment.

Gilmore framed Santa Clara’s role as host of both the Super Bowl and the FIFA Men's World Cup in 2026 as an opportunity to showcase the city. She described planned activations — including a Parade of Champions in downtown Santa Clara on Oct. 4 and annual tree lighting events — and introduced the city’s 2026 activations slogan and logo.

The mayor attributed many of the fiscal and program claims to city reporting or to information presented during the address. Several of the numerical statements (for example, counts of data centers, project‑specific dollar amounts, and the large figure cited for a private‑sector partnership) were presented as claims in the speech; the text below attributes those claims to Mayor Gilmore rather than treating them as independently verified facts.

Looking ahead, Gilmore said the city will continue to leverage city‑owned land for revenue‑producing projects, complete technical groundwork for downtown proposals and proceed with planned infrastructure upgrades funded in part by Measure I and SVP capital plans. She called for continued community involvement in decision making around major sites and thanked city staff and regional partners for their work.