I'm the Mayor?? Wow!!

On Tuesday Dec 5th I was selected as Mayor of Sebastopol. Wow! What an honor. I love this town, this City Council and staff...all of it. This past year as Vice Mayor has been terrific, working in tandem with outgoing Mayor Neysa Hinton. I'm ready for the hard work (and joy) that we will all face this coming year. Having Stephen Zollman as the Vice Mayor makes it even better. 

Goals for 2024: I've been asked about my goals. Here they are: 

• Relationships - Connected and Inclusive: Foster open and collaborative relationships, as the building blocks for any further work done by the City Council in 2024. That means relationships with City Staff (including our new City Manager!), Councilmembers, and the greater community - Sebastopol and beyond. Build trust and confidence across all those who are part of our sweet West County community.
• Fiscal Stability - A Safe and Healthy Town: Stabilize our fiscal present and future, looking at all available options, including tax measures, but not stopping there. Make "redundancy" part of the plan, making sure that if one approach doesn't produce results we have another to fall back on. Address our short-term needs and plan for the long-term. 
• Vital and Vibrant: Get beyond the essentials of fiscal stability, to an improved quality of life that is vital and vibrant. Do everything I can to nourish all the quirky, creative, unique, and warm-hearted aspects of our little town that makes it so special. 

I look forward to this coming year, with a clear understanding of the challenges we face, with a commitment to doing the hard work that will be needed, and a confidence that we as a town can make it all happen.