Antonio López voted East Palo Alto’s mayor

While there was some apprehension among the East Palo Alto council members to appoint the least experienced officials to take leadership roles, the council appointed Antonio López and Martha Barragan to the mayor and vice mayor roles, respectively.

Outgoing mayor Lisa Gauthier, said in previous years, the council has given newer council officials a chance to lead, and she feels city staff and the council will help support López and Barragan as they acclimate to their roles. 

“I know, in other years, we gave people new to the council an opportunity to lead as well,” Gauthier said.

Council members Ruben Abrica and Carlos Romero were hesitant to appoint Lopez to the mayor’s seat, noting that his tardiness and absence from previous City Council meetings would need to improve for him to serve the leadership role effectively. 

Romero noted López will have his work cut out for him as he tries to balance a full-time job and the city’s mayor position. López, whose term ends at the end of the year, is also campaigning for the San Mateo County Board of Supervisors Supervisor Warren Slocum’s District 4 seat.

Gauthier Romero’s concerns about tardiness and attendance but added that she believes López is capable. Gauthier is also vying for the Board of Supervisors District 4 seat, representing Redwood City, East Palo Alto, unincorporated North Fair Oaks and a portion of Menlo Park east of El Camino Real.

“I know we must follow you and stay on top of you. You are both very new to the council, but I believe in you, and I hope my colleagues can support you,” Gauthier said.

Leading into the Dec. 12 City Council meeting, it was assumed under previous, yet unofficial, mayor rotations that Council member Romero would be named vice mayor. However, Gauthier said it would be nice to have a woman and a man in the leadership roles, and most agreed, with Abrica abstaining from voting, noting that he wanted to stick to the unofficial protocol.

“The mayor that steps down goes to the end of the line. If someone new is elected, they go behind the mayor, who steps down because they are brand new. In this case, Barragan is the latest addition, so she goes to the end of the line,” Abrica said. “But again, we never wrote it down.”

Abrica said that he is a stickler for procedures, and when it is someone’s time to serve, he believes they deserve that opportunity, even if he disagrees. He noted it was the same reason he supported López as the mayor.

“I possibly would not have supported you (López), but I feel that it is the order of business to do that,” Abrica said.

Gauthier thanked the council for supporting her during her term as mayor. She said the council is like a family.

“We are not always going to agree on items, and we don’t always have to agree, but it’s what you learn through the process, and we can always be cordial and respectful of each other,” Gauthier said.