Listen to this note:
After the San Mateo County Assessor-Registrar and Chief Elections Office announced that there were no more ballots to count and gave the results of the November 5 election, the city of East Palo Alto prepares to welcome the new councillors of the City Council.
Thus, next Tuesday, December 17 at 6:00 p.m., the City Council will hold a meeting where the work of the outgoing mayor, Antonio D. López, and councilor Lisa Gauthier will also be recognized.
The event will also elect the next mayor and vice mayor of East Palo Alto.
The meeting is on the first floor of City Hall, located at 2415 University Avenue in East Palo Alto.
According to the San Mateo County Assessor-Recorder and Chief Elections Office, the three new City Council members who won seats were Carlos Romero, with 2,554 votes; Mark Dinan, with 2,341 votes; and Webster Lincoln, with 2,249 votes.
Carlos Romero has been actively involved in East Palo Alto public life for 42 years. He is currently finishing his third term on the City Council after being elected in 2008 and serving as mayor in 2011 and 2021.
Romero is a Stanford- and Harvard-educated urban planner and affordable housing developer with ?deep roots in community economic development.?
The re-elected councillor stated in his nomination that he is committed to community-driven processes that seek solutions to urban challenges.
Mark Dinan, who will also serve on the East Palo Alto City Council, currently chairs the Public Works Commission. He holds a degree in history from Marquette University and has been a small business owner since 2009.
Dinan is fluent in Spanish and lived in Guadalajara after college. His wife is from Peru, and has lived in East Palo Alto since 2009.
In his candidate statement, he said he wants the city to have affordable housing, large parks that are safe and bustling with activity, a new library, clean water for all residents, safe streets, development that brings needed businesses like grocery stores, movie theaters and pharmacies to the city, effective animal services, responsible public services, convenient parking and a transparent government that is accountable to all residents.
"I want to live in a place where we don't have to worry about the City Council approving toxic measures like the takeover bid, which would have harmed both owners and tenants," he said.
Finally, Webster Lincoln said he is running for East Palo Alto City Council because he believes in the potential of the community and the power of inclusive leadership.
In this regard, he said he is a strong advocate of affordable housing, economic development and youth training.
Her vision for East Palo Alto includes expanding affordable housing programs and supporting community land trusts to prevent displacement.
"I am committed to creating business incubators, supporting locally owned businesses, and partnering with technology companies to provide job training and employment opportunities. Additionally, I will work to expand after-school programs and provide mentoring opportunities that help our youth succeed," he added.
East Palo Alto endorses JJ measure
It is worth noting that East Palo Alto also gave a resounding yes to the East Palo Alto Measure JJ initiative with a total of 4,856 votes.
Measure JJ would amend the Municipal Code to require that funds generated by the 2.5 percent tax on gross rental income from certain types of residential units be used only for tenant rental assistance, administrative expenses, and other specific housing purposes.
You may be interested in: Redwood City council members push vote to 2025 on turning city into 'sanctuary' for immigrants, with no set date
