San Jose Mayor Chuck Reed has announced his endorsement for the city's next mayor.
Reed endorsed City Councilman Sam Liccardo at a press conference Monday.
"Sam is honest, he's got integrity, and will do right by the residents and tax payers of San Jose," Reed said.
The mayor's endorsement comes less than a week after Liccardo won a spot in the mayoral run-off. Liccardo will face Dave Cortese, a Santa Clara County supervisor, in the election this November.
"Mayor Reed's work here is not yet complete," Liccardo said. "We need to continue to work to ensure future generations of San Jose residents will benefit from a city that is both sustainable and prosperous."
But some question whether Reed's voter-approved pension reform has helped or hurt the city.
In 2012, Reed requested voters approve Measure B, which requires city workers, police and firefighters to begin paying more for their pension funds. Liccardo was among the strong backers of the pension reform measure.
Many consider the upcoming election will come down to the controversial Measure B.
"I'm urging the people to stay on the path to using fiscal reforms to restore the services to continue to improve the city," Reed said Monday.
Cortese is concerned the city's reforms have gone too far, causing an exodus of police officers in a city battling rising crime rates.
"I've been critical, not of his notion about pension reform -- we're all for reform," Cortese said. "But I've criticized his approach to some extent."
The San Jose Police Officer's Association is endorsing Cortese for San Jose's next mayor.
"It's been a mess, and if the public wants more of the same -- four years, eight more years of this -- then they vote Liccardo," said Jim Unland, San Jose Police Officer's Association president.
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Cortese said he is looking forward to future public debates with Liccardo as the election nears.
