|
Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...
|
Elizabeth Lewis has been elected by the Atherton City Council to serve as mayor for the coming year, with Mike Lempres elected as vice mayor.
Both were elected unanimously by their fellow council members when the council met on Dec. 16.
“It is a true honor to represent and serve the people of Atherton,” Mayor Lewis said after being handed the gavel. “It’s really a very important job we all do and I do not take it lightly.”
She said she hopes the council members can work “collegially and cordially” during the coming year.
Mayor Lewis said she was impressed by the list of projects outgoing Mayor Rick DeGolia said the town had accomplished during the last year. “It really is amazing,” she said, noting that many of the projects had begun years earlier. “Government is a marathon, not a sprint,” she said.
Mayor Lewis praised the town’s staff and her fellow council members. “We live in a very exciting time for the town of Atherton,” she said.
Mayor Lewis said she will keep Rick DeGolia’s tradition of holding “office hours” in the council chambers. Mr. DeGolia had been meeting with any interested residents on Tuesdays from noon to 2 p.m.
Ms. Lewis was first elected to the council in 2008 and was re-elected by a substantial margin in 2012. She last served as mayor in 2013.
Among the town’s recent accomplishments mentioned by outgoing Mayor Rick DeGolia was the progress in designing the new civic center, the move toward installing a fiber-optic network through the town, and adding software to the town’s website to allow for easier resident comment on issues.
He also talked about the council’s “commitment to conservative fiscal policy as we experienced our third substantial annual budget surplus in a row” with money being put into infrastructure projects including roads, Holbrook-Palmer Park, the town’s drainage system and bicycle and pedestrian paths.
“I want to thank members of the council for their dedication to Atherton,” Mr. DeGolia said, as well as “every member of our staff for their professionalism and dedicated work” and residents who serve on town committees.