Wright has lived in the city of Monte Sereno for more than 20 years with his wife of 26 years, Jeanine Bugh. While the couple has no children, they enjoy spending time with five koi fish, a dog and three cats on their Grandview Avenue estate. Wright was elected as mayor at the city's Dec. 7 meeting, while Mark Brodsky was named the vice mayor.

Wright, who is currently unemployed after formerly working in fiber-optic communications, has started his own consulting business. While he's searching for a new job, Wright has been writing and publishing fantasy and historical board games. He is also a member of the Los Gatos Rotary Club and practices yoga. Wright was elected to the city council in 2002.

"I ran because I couldn't get a job to save my life, and I wanted to keep sharp," he said.

As for his goals as mayor in 2005, Wright supports annexing approximately 98 acres of unincorporated Santa Clara County "pockets" surrounded by the incorporated city of Monte Sereno. A new state law will change a 75-acre maximum annexation requirement to 150 acres, allowing for all 98 acres to possibly be annexed after Jan. 1, 2005. The law terminates on Jan. 1, 2007.

"If we're going to do the annexation, we need to do it within those two years," Wright said.

Wright described the annexation as a land-use issue that would be in the best interest of the people and properties that would be incorporated into the city of Monte Sereno.

"You have to think about how this city started," Wright said. "It started to preserve the natural beauty of the place. In 1957, to be an ecological city was pretty far reaching for then, so we have to step up to the plate and do the same thing," he said.

Wright hopes to maintain the city's cultural commission and start a youth commission, which will share resources with the youth commission already in place in the town of Los Gatos. He plans to sustain good relationships with officials in Saratoga and Los Gatos and make sure the city of Monte Sereno stays more consistent with its code enforcement.

Reluctantly, Wright voiced concerns in working with Brodsky, who he claimed has had a difficult time making the transition from citizen advocate to councilman.

"Mark has had a challenge in his relationships with other agencies; that concerns me," Wright said. "It's my hope that he will concentrate on relationships instead of issues this year, and I certainly think he has the ability to do that."

Wright plans to continue informal meetings at city hall to hear concerns from citizens throughout the year. Those gatherings, previously with former Mayor Erin Garner, featured coffee and muffins, but Wright will be changing that.

"It will be tea with the mayor because I hate coffee," he said.