To standing ovations by their families in the Board Chambers on the Center County campus in downtown Redwood City, Noelia Corzo and Ray Mueller were sworn in on the morning of January 3 before the County Board of Supervisors. Saint Matthew.
Together, they represent the biggest change to the five-member Board in a generation; the last time two new members were sworn in at the same time was in 1993. Both won runoff elections last November.
Corzo was sworn in by her mother, Aura Ester Solorzano, and her 11-year-old son, Mike Alvarado-Corzo. She represents District 2, which includes the cities of San Mateo, Foster City and much of Belmont.
Noelia is a San Mateo resident who grew up in the city's North Central neighborhood, and campaigned on the message of bringing her professional experience as a social worker "who knows exactly where our neighbors fall" and her personal experience as a single mother "who understands the importance of access to high-quality child care, health care, and education.”
She is currently the only woman on the Board of Supervisors and the first Latina to serve on the Board in the county's 158-year history. He previously served on the San Mateo-Foster City School District Board of Directors.
For his part, Mueller was sworn in before his wife, Kristen Shima, and their children Max Mueller, 17, and Elle Mueller, 13. He represents District 3, which includes the cities of Atherton, Half Moon Bay, Pacifica , Portola Valley, Woodside, and part of Belmont, along with large unincorporated areas.
Mueller, a Menlo Park resident, emphasized during his campaign addressing challenges such as affordable housing, coastal infrastructure investment, and environmental stewardship, among other issues.
He has pledged to do “impressive work on behalf of San Mateo County District 3; work that will make a difference to our quality of life, our safety, our economy, our environment and our future.” He previously served on the Menlo Park City Council.
Mueller succeeds Don Horsley as District 3 representative; Corzo succeeds Carole Groom as District 2 representative. Both Horsley and Groom are out of office.
At the same meeting, Supervisor Dave Pine was elected president of the Board of Supervisors for the next year.
Pine, who won a special election in 2011 and was subsequently re-elected three times, said his goal will be to "facilitate a highly effective and productive culture among the Board of Supervisors that will allow us to make the best possible decisions for the good of the county."
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