Along with unity, better community service and wise decision-making, there is one goal he says may be unattainable for the group: Victory in the annual softball game between city council and city staff.

In his time on the dais, the team of council members and their family members is 0 and 2, having lost to the staff team that often includes public safety officers and candidates.

"We get whipped," Howe joked.

Win or lose—although the "win" part has yet to be tested—Howe and the council provide lunch for all involved, something Howe likes because he says it gives the two teams a chance to interact on an informal basis, removed from the pomp and procedure of council chambers.

For Howe, it seems that some of the most important parts of being a public figure are staying grounded in the community and staying grounded personally.

In his city hall office full of maps of Sunnyvale, ceremonial shovels and local artwork, he's most excited to show off a wallet-sized photo of his newest granddaughter, 2-month-old Audrey Marie Bivens.

It's this connection to family, as well as humility, that Howe says he strives to carry into his council actions. He talks adamantly about balancing the budget this year and prioritizing services to preserve vital parts of the city, but it's when he talks about his life outside the council chambers, particularly about his wife, that balance and priorities really come into play.

His wife of 19 years, Jodi Howe, says that while her husband has become busier over the years as his commitment to the city has grown, he hasn't lost track of his commitment to her and to their home, even as he works to improve the city he calls home.

A 23-year resident of Santa Clara County, Howe, 53, chose to come here originally for the affordability, but stayed to get involved and become a part of the community. He has been a self-employed Realtor in the city for 17 years and involved in local government for almost eight years. He decided to get involved after disagreeing with a number of land-use decisions he saw made.

"I saw the city growing in such a way that the density was impacting the quality of life," Howe said.

He served for 5¹/2 years on the planning commission, including stints as chairman and vice chairman, before moving on to the city council in 2001. He was elected mayor in November, to follow fellow council veteran Julia Miller in the center chair.

His top priorities for his year as mayor include bringing unity to the council—a group seen in the past as inefficient and divisive.

"I want to be able to hand the gavel to Dean in a calmer time," he said, referring to Vice Mayor Dean Chu, who will most likely succeed Howe next November.

He is also hoping to instill an increased concern within the council for the needs of the community as a whole.

"The local government is the only place that a citizen can address their government on a one-on-one basis," Howe said. "Hopefully by the end of this year, they believe that they can be involved and they can make a difference."

Howe says he puts in close to 30 hours a week in his role as mayor, but even when he is out to dinner with friends or family, he is still the mayor of Sunnyvale, and gets the expected attention.

To escape that, Howe said he and his wife schedule a "date night" once a week. On a typical date, they make dinner at home, turn off the telephone, lock the door and just spend time together.

"At least we know when things get crazy with the city that we always have that one night together," Jodi said.

Jodi said her husband's position is something she tends to keep away from, because she wants to keep a life separate from the public life he leads as mayor. On Tuesday nights, while he's at council meetings, she leads a Bible study, only watching the end of the meeting if it is still on when she gets home. If she sees something that she doesn't agree with, she said she doesn't hesitate to bring it up to her husband when he gets home.

"I think it's good for him to be able to come home and bounce ideas off of someone," Jodi said.

Both Howes said faith is another way they stay focused when things get chaotic. Both are active members in the Campbell Church of Christ, and John said the teachings of his church have helped him stay humble.

Jodi said the only big change she has seen in her husband is that he is far busier now that he has become mayor.

"He's still John. He doesn't walk around saying 'Hi, I'm the mayor of Sunnyvale,' " she said. "That's what I'm proud of, because I think a lot of people in that position would try to use it or exploit it."

She jokes that he also appears more serious when he's on the dais, although she has seen him loosen up since his appointment as mayor.

For John Howe, being an elected official simply means having more responsibilities in certain areas than other people, and he hopes that by continuing to show that regular people can make a difference, he can inspire other residents to follow his lead.

"I'm just an absolutely average person that chose to run," Howe said.