Four new Vallejo councilmembers take their seats

VALLEJO –  Vallejo’s newly elected mayor and council members were sworn in to office before a packed chambers on Tuesday, in an evening filled with emotional moments, gratitude for the service of outgoing officials and optimism for a new council with a mandate for change. 

After taking her seat at the dais to cheers and applause, newly-elected Mayor Andrea Sorce encouraged Vallejoans to step up, get involved and push for the change that they want to see. 

“We're going to be one team. We're going to be one team with our staff, and we're going to be one team in our community,” Sorce said. “The era of silence is going to end right now. The era of excuses is going to end right now. We're all bringing an era of transparency, we're bringing an era of accountability. We're bringing in an era of inclusion, and we need every single one of you to be a part of it.”

The first half of the meeting was dedicated to individual proclamations thanking outgoing Mayor Robert McConnell and each of the outgoing council members, Rozzana Verder-Aliga, Mina Loera-Diaz and Cristina Arriola.   

McConnell, who was ineligible to run again, said that in his two terms as a city councilmember and third as mayor that the last council was the most congenial group that he had worked with, “We can accomplish so much more when we stick to the issues and do not get into in-fighting on personalities,” he said. “And I commend you, because you have all done that, I can't thank you enough.”

McConnell thanked the staff for their contributions and information that he said is crucial for the councilmembers to advance the needs and wants of the public.

Rozzana Verder-Aliga, who had also termed out, thanked each of the current councilmembers for their unique contributions and said that she is grateful for the 11 years that she has been able to serve the city of Vallejo. She expressed gratitude to City Manager Andrew Murray for bringing a new perspective to city administration and for selecting Jason Ta to be the city’s permanent police chief.

After strong cheers and applause to thank Mina Loera-Diaz, who declined to seek reelection, she said that she stands by every decision that she made in her four years on the council and said that it is important for councilmembers to represent all of the diverse voices in the city. 

Loera-Diaz said that even though she is leaving the council she won’t be going away. She said she plans to hold a regular event, “Coffee with Mina,” on Wednesday mornings after council meetings in which she will break down and distill the issues of each meeting to support Vallejoans in participating in city governance.

Cristina Arriola, who lost her reelection bid to Helen-Marie “Cookie” Gordon, gave a tearful goodbye. “As I pass on the proverbial torch, I'm comforted that my successor will continue the same dedication and passion that I have and still have for District 6, and in particular my childhood neighborhood of South Vallejo, that said I am by no means riding off into the sunset,” she said. 

Arriola said that she would continue to help out in the community and that she would be right alongside community members in advocating for a long list of important issues that still remain undone, including police reform, dredging the Marina and providing adequate support for the unhoused.  

The new councilmembers had each chosen a community member to administer their oath of office that signified key issues expressed in their campaigns. Sorce’s oath was administered by Kris Kelly, an advocate for police reform who co-chaired the Solano County Chapter of the American Civil Liberties Union along with Sorce. 

Councilmember Alex Matias of District 1 was sworn in by his wife Tracee Matias, who he thanked profusely as one of his main supporters. His parents Angela and Luis Matias translated the oath into Spanish.

Former Mayor Osby Davis administered the oath for Gordon and California State Controller Malia Cohen administered the oath for Tonia Lediju of District 3.

Cohen said that when she served on the San Francisco Board of Supervisors Audits and Oversights Committee she had worked with Lediju, who was then auditor for San Francisco.

“I didn't know anything about audit oversights,” Cohen said. “And this woman was in charge of everything in the city and county of San Francisco, and she taught me so much. So I am able to stand as your state controller who is in charge of auditing because of this woman right here.”

In the new council’s first order of business, the council unanimously appointed Councilmember Peter Bregenzer as Vice Mayor. 

Sorce asked for comments from each of the new council members on taking office.

Matias said that he is going to make good use of his experience working with the community on city boards and commissions.

“I firmly believe that our ability to realize our vision requires tapping into all the talent that we have here in Vallejo,” Matias said. “I look forward to working with you. I look forward to continuing to serve you, and I sincerely want to thank you for continuing to choose Vallejo and continuing to choose each of us as community as we make our way through life. 

“And now it's time to get to work,” Matias said.

Lediju remarked on running unopposed and said that she continued her campaign because it was important to her that she earned the votes of Vallejoans in District 3. “On that journey, oftentimes, I remember individuals saying we really need transformation, and I'm committed, and I promise you that we will see transformation and that we will move from that word ‘potential’ to continue progress,” she said. 

Gordon said that she is grateful to voters for trusting her and sharing a vision of bringing Vallejo to the next level. She said that she will work to bring more tourism to the city and that she will always be available to hear new ideas or criticism.  

“We have big ideas for District 6,” Gordon said. “But it's not just about District 6. It's all of Vallejo. We're going to help build all of Vallejo and we have to make sure we take care of young folks and our senior citizens, because they deserve the best as well.”

Sorce said that Vallejo has not elected a woman as mayor in over thirty years and she is moved that voters have selected her to serve in the role. Sorce said that voters chose a very diverse council and the city is going to be better for having those perspectives.

She said that she sees the election of four new councilmembers as a mandate for change. 

“It's clear that the voters of Vallejo want to change,” she said. “We love our city, we want our city to be better. It's not going to be quick, it's not going to be easy, but we're going to be able to do it together.”