The Sunnyvale Sun
News
Spitaleri takes reins as mayor of Sunnyvale
By Cody Kraatz
The Sunnyvale City Council unanimously elected Tony Spitaleri, previously the vice mayor, as the city's new mayor. He will serve for two years, since voters approved an amendment to the city charter in November that doubled the term.
The council also unanimously selected Melinda Hamilton as vice mayor.
Spitaleri said that one of his chief goals is recruiting people from more diverse backgrounds to serve on city boards and commissions, in neighborhood associations and with other community organizations.
"We have a great deal of people that are involved now, but we need to keep that coming," he said, adding affordable housing, schools, seniors, transportation, hiring a new city manager and the environment to his list of concerns.
He said his two-year term would help address them.
"It's going to give me more time to get things going, get things on track and keep it going," he said, adding, "I think it starts to give us a little edge" at the state and federal levels.
Also, he plans to start holding office hours from 1 to 4 p.m. on Mondays in his office at city hall, starting in February. His schedule as president of the Palo Alto Professional Firefighters Union--he is a retired firefighter--gives him a lot of flexibility, he said.
New council
Councilman Dave Whittum took his oath of office, replacing Dean Chu, whom he narrowly defeated in November elections.
Whittum reiterated some of his goals, which include registering lobbyists, putting council campaign contributions details online, eliminating Sunnyvale's numbered seat system and locating new development near mass transit corridors.
"Because neighbors are divided and busy, we lose," he said, referring in particular to building and development in the city. "Residents can stand together or fall."
A physicist by trade and active Heritage District Neighborhood Association leader, he won a grassroots campaign focused more on canvassing door-to-door than fundraising.
Farewell
In his farewell speech, Chu quoted Lincoln's Gettysburg Address, "government of the people, by the people, for the people" as his theme.
He emphasized the reinvigoration of Sunnyvale's downtown redevelopment, a steadily balanced budget and his chairmanship of the Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority as the accomplishments of which he was most proud.
"Representing Sunnyvale on the Valley Transportation Authority for several years, and having recently completed a year as the VTA chair, have given me the opportunity to influence and shape transportation policies in Silicon Valley for years to come," he said.
Additionally, Councilman Chris Moylan turned down Whittum's nomination of him for mayor, saying that he could not take on the required time to do the job properly because he anticipated an upcoming job transition.