[On Tuesday, Dec. 4, 2018, Mayor Steve Martin was sworn in for a second four-year term. These are his remarks at that ceremony.]
Good evening.
Welcome to everyone and thank you for attending this evening’s meeting, including my wife, Jennifer, life-long friends Mayor Tom O’Malley of Atascadero and former County Auditor-Controller Gere Sibbach, as well as incoming Atascadero Mayor Heather Moreno and County Superintendent of Schools Jim Brescia.
Tonight is a time for gratitude and a time for commitment.
I am thankful for the past four years as your Mayor, and that I will have four more to serve you.
I am thankful for the support of my wife, my friends and my colleagues on the Council.
I am thankful for all those who supported me in the recent election. And I am also thankful for those who did not. Your voices were heard and I will work hard during the next four years to earn your respect.
The last four years have seen many successes:
- We established multiple water sources to sustain our needs under the General Plan.
- We spent MORE than the amount generated by our sales tax override to repair local streets.
- We recreated our planning processes to streamline application times.
- We created new ways to make housing more affordable.
- We established a new Economic Development plan to bring new jobs to our city.
- We worked together as a community to re-open the Centennial.
- We have been leaders in civil discourse, protecting everyone’s right and ability to participate in city government.
But that’s the past, and tonight we are concerned with the future. What comes next?
We will do the work demanded by our citizens, including:
- Repairing our streets.
- Bringing new jobs to our city.
- Enhancing our public safety services.
- Making housing available at all levels.
Big jobs, but they represent just the tip of the iceberg, which is where the commitment comes in. During the next four years, I commit to listening, learning and leading. I commit to being accessible and responsive. I commit to understanding the issues, asking the hard questions and making the best decisions… all in the spirit and practice of civil discourse.
Tonight, let us continue what we started four years ago, to work together to make and keep Paso Robles a place where people can live, work and recreate.
People of Paso Robles, City staff, Councilmen and Councilwoman…let’s get to work!