Saratoga News Mehaffey, Streit and Baker take council oath of office By Sarah Lombardo Saratoga City Councilman Jim Shaw was elected the 25th mayor of Saratoga by a vote of the council Dec. 1. Stan Bogosian was elected vice mayor. Shaw replaces outgoing mayor and four-year council veteran Don Wolfe, who was elected in November to the the West Valley-Mission Community College District Board. In his last remarks as a councilmember, the outgoing mayor expressed gratitude to family, friends and residents, closing his comments with an Irish blessing and a few tears. There were no tears from outgoing councilmembers Gillian Moran, who lost her bid for reelection to the council, and Paul Jacobs. "It can be a really satisfying accomplishment to get elected, and I'm sure they are still savoring their victories," Jacobs said. "But, I can tell you, it can also be very satisfying to leave office. ... I look forward to retiring from the public arena." Both Jacobs and Moran thanked city staffers and other councilmembers for all their work during their four-year terms, for their ability to work together and the seeming lack of divisiveness on a council that was in past years known for in-fighting. "Despite whatever differences we've had, I think the willingness to respect those differences and work cooperatively together has been a hallmark and is very important," Jacobs said. Wolfe, Moran and Jacobs made way for incoming councilmembers John Mehaffey, Nick Streit and Evan Baker, who were sworn in by City Manager Larry Perlin. The trio begin their four-year terms as members of the first all-male council in more than 20 years. But that isn't the only change in council demographics, Streit pointed out in his opening remarks. "For the first time in many years, the city of Saratoga has two councilmen with young children--John with his daughter, Charlotte, who is 7 years old, and my children, Nicholas, who is 5 1/2, and Samantha, who will be 3 in January." Streit said a young parent's perspective will not change the city's rural setting or the council's sense of neighborhoods, but that he does intend to think of the future in his decision-making. Both Baker and Mehaffey said they look forward to the next four years. "In my first--and perhaps my only--elected term in public service, I am thrilled to be here," Baker said. [ Back to Contents Page | Saratoga News Home Page | Archives ] This article appeared in the Saratoga News, December 9, 1998. ©1998 Metro Publishing, Inc. All rights reserved.