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Cecilia Taylor and Drew Combs are once again Menlo Park’s mayor and vice mayor, respectively.
Their fellow City Council members chose the two for the top roles in its annual reorganization during a regular meeting Tuesday night, Dec. 12. The pair are reprising their tandem leadership, having both served in the same roles in 2020.
Taylor takes over for outgoing Mayor Jen Wolosin, who remains on the council.
“I am honored to serve again as the mayor of Menlo Park,” Taylor said toward the end of the meeting. “I’m excited for the upcoming year, and I look forward to sharing with all of you what my focuses are in the coming weeks.”
A likely focus is shepherding Menlo Park toward a housing plan that finally complies with the state’s Regional Housing Needs Allocation (RHNA) program for the 2023-31 cycle. Similar to many other jurisdictions on the Peninsula and statewide, Menlo Park for more than a year has been striving to garner state approval for a plan to accommodate close to 3,800 units during this current cycle.
Taylor’s mayorship will have to navigate as well through some major proposed projects such as the Parkline mixed-use development, which would transform the aging SRI International research campus into a new district of offices, housing and recreational spaces. Also, a towering mixed-used project is eyed on the site of the former Sunset Magazine headquarters.
Taylor’s remarks on Dec. 12 elaborated on the significance of being mayor.
“What mayor means to me is … it is a ceremonial role for the city and establishes the tone of the meeting,” she said. “It works with City Council members and the city manager to create a realistic agenda, we hope, for the City Council.”
An important task for a mayor is “to ensure certain topics come to policymakers in an adequate time, especially topics that are concerns of not just council members but also members of the public and staff,” she said. “Mayors also help to maintain a safe space for all residents in our city to share their concerns, suggestions and joys with the City Council and the public at each meeting.”
Furthermore, she said, the mayor “can provide some cohesion to the City Council, the city attorney, the city manager and our police chief.”
Taylor, who served as vice mayor the past year, also acknowledged the work of others involved with City Hall.
“When we look at our leadership positions, we also include our commissioners and our committee members,” she said. “Although they are not the governing body that creates policy, they do provide input and recommendations and a place for the public to discuss issues and make suggestions. Public service is a place for residents who usually are committed to change, real change, even though most of us are not compensated for our time. We are still happy to serve in our capacity.”
Taylor represents District 1, the city’s Bay side of Highway 101, which includes the Belle Haven neighborhood. Combs represents District 2, which covers the Willows, Flood Triangle and Suburban Park neighborhoods on the other side of the highway.
Both Taylor and Combs were first elected to the council in 2018, and their current terms end December 2026.
Taylor thanked Wolosin for her tenure as mayor, citing “your service to the city, your diligence and your commitment to truly understanding topics that have come before us and consistently connecting with residents.”
Before giving way to the new leadership, Wolosin reflected on what she described as a busy, productive past year.
In response to last winter’s storms and flooding, she said as an example, “the city really came through, providing warming centers and hotel rebates to residents, and we kept our residents warm and dry.”
She also highlighted the city’s development accomplishments. “We saw lots of housing come on line at Middle Plaza and Springline, and at Springline we also got a lot of new, delicious restaurants,” she said. “Gateway Rising on Willow Road was completed, and that’s 140 affordable units. We approved 123 Independence Drive, which has 432 units, including 66 affordable units.”
