Welcome!

I have had the privilege of representing you and this beautiful community for the last four years on the Palo Alto City Council. This year, it has been my honor to serve as your Mayor, and I am seeking another term to continue working to make this a healthier, more welcoming place to live and work.

This year, as Mayor, I have emphasized the importance of youth mental health and wellbeing. In January, minutes after being sworn in as Mayor, I announced the formation of the Youth Mental Health and Wellbeing Taskforce, a group comprised of mental health experts from Stanford University, PAUSD, the City, nonprofit partners and, of course, students to advise me in recommending policies to strengthen our city's support for our community's youth. I look forward to returning to the Council with a host of policy suggestions to help improve the lives of our City's youth.

Regarding the environment, the City continues to lead the way on climate change and adaptation by investing in upgrading our City's electrical grid, adopting new programs like our Heat Pump Water Heater pilot program and One Margin reach codes. I've supported the first update to the tree ordinance in over 20 years, promoted bird safe glass, the dark skies initiatives, and now a critical update to creekside setback standards. I also represent the City on the SFPUC, working to protect our community from future floods, and BAWSCA in order to ensure our community has clean and affordable water for decades to come. These commitments and efforts have already earned my campaign the Sierra Club endorsement.

Today, our City's finances are in great shape, our sales taxes have rebounded to around pre-pandemic levels, and some key economic indicators are performing better than during the pre-pandemic era. Included in the budget is support for several nonprofit organizations that provide critical services to a variety of community populations that need a helpful hand living here. I've been a strong advocate for supporting these services going back to my time serving on the Human Relations Commission and the County Human Rights Commission. That is the real meaning of community. Everyone matters.

The Council has adopted the City's Housing Element, prioritizing affordable housing among the State-mandated 6,800 housing units to be built over the next 8 years. I've worked hard as a member of the city's Housing Ad Hoc Committee to prioritize truly affordable housing and ensure the allocation of housing is equitably distributed across the city. As the only renter on the Council, I have also advocated for commonsense renter protections and plan to continue to fight for renters' rights.

I'm proud of the work that has been accomplished together, but we cannot ignore the challenges that exist in 2024 and that will continue (if not persist). The relentless advance of climate change manifests in devastating storms, rising sea levels, and raging wildfires, underscoring the urgency of our environmental stewardship. Recent tragedies have reminded us of the imperative to prioritize youth mental health and cyclist safety, and state housing mandates will require significant city resources to plan for and build sufficient affordable housing with little-to-no financial support from the state or federal governments.

Reflecting on these achievements of the past 4 years instills confidence in me and the resilient pirit of this community. With optimism as our guiding beacon, I am filled with anticipation for what we can achieve together. That is why I'm running for reelection, because I believe Palo Alto's best days are still ahead of us, and I hope to earn the honor of your continued support.