|
Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...
|
The room was filled with cheer and applause as the city welcomed its new council on Monday, Dec. 9, 2024.
Celebrations began with a public reception in City Hall at 5 p.m. This was followed by the council meeting at 6 p.m. that recognized the outgoing members and welcomed the newly elected and re-elected members.
City Manager Melissa Stevenson Diaz presented gifts on behalf of the staff to outgoing members Alicia Aguirre and Lissette Espinoza-Garnica.
Aguirre, who was representing district 7, teared up as all council members spoke in appreciation of her service spanning almost two decades. She had been a part of the council since 2005 and made history in 2011 when she became the first Latina to serve as the Mayor.
“You have a real legacy to bring others with you through the doors that you have helped to open,” said Diaz.
She was not the only one leaving behind a legacy at yesterday’s ceremony.
Epinoza-Garnica, who represented district 3, became the first openly non-binary person to serve on the council in 2020.
“You aren’t afraid to speak your mind, to do what you think is right, and to lead boldly,” said Council member Chris Sturken.
The council then congratulated its new members, Isabella Chu and Marcella Padilla, who took their oath for the first time.
It was a big day for the city’s leadership as the council welcomed its new mayor, Elmer Martinez Saballos and vice-mayor Kaia Eakin.
A new mayor and vice mayor are elected every two years and rotate based on seniority on the city council. Once a council member serves as mayor, they move to the end of the rotation.
Martinez Saballos ran unopposed for re-election to district 4 this year. He is one of the youngest members to be on the council.
“I’m deeply honored by the trust my colleagues have placed in me, and I’m truly humbled to serve as the mayor of my hometown,” Martinez Saballos said after taking his oath as the mayor.
Born to immigrant parents, Martinez Saballos is a Redwood City native. His trajectory on the council was not conventional, as he was unanimously appointed to the council in 2022 following the abrupt resignation of then-council member Michael Smith.
At the ceremony, he reflected on his experiences growing up in Redwood City. He also spoke of families being priced out, homelessness, the struggles of women without access to affordable childcare, and the impacts of gun violence.
“Looking ahead, we need to remain focused on these issues that are impacting our residents every day, continue finding ways to support our most vulnerable residents, because if we can make a community that is able to uplift a family within a generation, then we know we’re building a strong and resilient community where everybody can succeed,” Martinez Saballos added.
Saballos will serve as the mayor till December 2026 and the district 4 representative until December 2028.
Eakin’s neighborhood of 20 years–Redwood Oaks– was in a newly created district after going through an extensive redistricting process. The new district 5 was up for election in 2022, and Eakin ran unopposed.
Before joining the council, Eakin, who will now serve as vice mayor and took the oath on Monday, spent seven years on Redwood City’s Historic Resources Advisory Committee. She was a child advocate with CASA of San Mateo County for 15 years and a Redwood City’s Chamber of Commerce Leadership Academy graduate.
“It is an honor and a privilege to sit before you serving as your vice mayor,” she said. “Today we have the benefit of the many accomplishments of prior councils.”
