San Jose Mayor Matt Mahan, DA Jeff Rosen back Measure A amid concerns about the impact of federal cuts on public safety

San Jose Mayor Matt Mahan, District Attorney Jeff Rosen and a coalition of local prosecutors and law enforcement officers are backing Santa Clara County’s Measure A, raising concerns that recent federal cuts could also impact funding for public safety.

County services that rely on revenues from Medicaid are expected to bear the brunt of President Donald Trump’s “Big, Beautiful Bill,” which slashes $1 trillion from the federally-funded health insurance program over the next decade. The legislation is estimated to rip a roughly $1 billion annual hole in the county’s budget that could lead to cuts to services across the board.

Measure A — a five-eights-of-a-cent sales tax increase on the Nov. 4 ballot — could soften some of the blow as county officials anticipate it will generate $330 million annually.

Rosen, who joined the DA’s Office as a prosecutor in 1995 before being elected to his current post in 2010, said in an interview that his staff is smaller than it was 10 years ago despite an increased number of cases.

The DA’s Office — like many departments across the county — has seen the elimination of vacant positions as a result of several tough budget cycles that has left the county with other few cost-savings options. Rosen has been critical in the past of proposed cuts his office’s budget, noting that fewer criminal investigators would lead to more criminals on the street.

“If the sales tax measure doesn’t pass, it’s clear to me that there’s going to be cuts to law enforcement in the county, cuts to the DA’s Office and cuts to the Sheriff’s Office,” Rosen told The Mercury News. “Those cuts, I know will put at risk the speed at which we test rape kits in our county, all of our domestic violence prosecution, our community prosecutors that are helping reduce crime as well as the (auto theft and gun violence) task forces.”

Santa Clara County Government Attorneys Association President Max Zarzana has also felt the impacts of recent county budget cuts in his role as a prosecutor in Mental Health Treatment Court.

The union, which represents over 300 local prosecutors, public defenders and alternate defenders, has endorsed Measure A and contributed $250,000 to a campaign committee supporting the ballot initiative.

Zarzana said in an interview that the core function of the criminal justice system is having trials and securing convictions — everything beyond that is a secondary function.

“Mental Health Treatment Court and all the (wrap-around) services that are all by the county, I believe those would all be put at risk as some of the first layer of cuts that might occur if the budget hole doesn’t get fixed,” Zarzana said.

Mahan, who has publicly clashed with the county this year over the best approach to solving homelessness, has voiced concerns in recent weeks about the county’s fiscal ability to run its massive health care system — the second-largest of its kind in the state. Despite the criticism, though, the mayor has opted to endorse Measure A.

“Passing this temporary, stopgap measure means we don’t have to choose between providing healthcare for San Jose families and prosecuting crime,” Mahan said in a statement. “No community should have to make that choice, and by stepping up together we can ensure Santa Clara County residents don’t.”

The mayor, Rosen, and the coalition of local prosecutors and law enforcement officers are expected to officially announce their endorsements at a press conference on Wednesday afternoon.

This is a breaking news story. Check back for updates.