It was a whirlwind 12 months of store-openings, community-building, future-envisioning and infrastructure development, but as they say, all good things must come to an end.
And so tonight—with her characteristic beaming smile plastered on her face—Mayor Maria Ristow handed the baton to Mary Badame, who served as Vice Mayor for the past year.
And Councilmember Matthew Hudes ascended to the position of Vice Mayor.
“It feels like a really long time, and it also feels like it went by really quickly,” Ristow said, as she geared up for her outgoing remarks. “I hope this isn’t as long as Councilmember Rennie’s speech two years ago, but there’s a lot I wanted to cover.”
Ristow oversaw the establishment of a Diversity Equity and Inclusion committee—which she credited to prior groundwork by former mayors Marcia Jensen and Marico Sayoc—the continued rollout of the “parklet” patio program, new traffic-calming measures and the adoption of the Flock Safety traffic camera system, among other initiatives.
But it was the way she threw her heart and soul into the job of leading the community that endeared Ristow to even those who, at times, might disagree with her more progressive policy prescriptions.
Marna Taylor said she appreciated Ristow’s efforts to work with the faith community to establish outreach programs for the unhoused.
“Thank you Mayor Ristow for the support you’ve given this year,” she said. “We’ve really appreciated it.”
Kathleen Willey and Karen Rubio, of Plant-Based Advocates, brought up Ristow’s willingness to listen to their perspective on the value of promoting sustainability.
Assemblymember Gail Pellerin referenced the speech Ristow made at the beginning of the year, where she pledged to be a good “team captain” for the Town.
“You certainly have done that,” she said. “You have kept your word. You have shown us what an incredible leader you are.”
Pellerin recognized Ristow for various parks and sustainability initiatives, as well as convincing an applicant to apply to an internship in their San Jose District office.’
A representative for Supervisor Joe Simitian thanked Ristow for supporting older adults in town.
Ristow said it’s been an honor to serve as the top elected official.
“I’ve had a front-row seat to the best that this community is,” she said. “Every invitation to speak was truly an honor.”
She said her favorite two events she attended this year were the opening of the Los Gatos Theatre and the ribbon-cutting of Domus, a business that reopened after an 11-year absence.
She noted that one disappointment was not achieving a certified Housing Element.
“I’m confident we’ll complete this task in 2024,” she said with a laugh that the audience seemed to understand and empathize with.
Ristow said being mayor was a “peak experience” that made her a better person.
“Mostly, thank you to my incredibly supportive and understanding family,” she said.
(Drew Penner / Los Gatan)
Rennie promised to keep his remarks to less than a page.
“Thank you for all the things we’ve achieved this year,” he said. “I thought, ‘You know what? Maria is the first mayor since 2018 that was not a mayor before.’”
He said that will likely continue to be the case in the coming years.
Hudes, who has at times sparred with Ristow over various bits of Council business, offered some of the most effusive praise.
“I want to thank you and commend you for the way you’ve conducted the Town Council meetings; your open approach has proven to be inviting and has led to civil meetings,” he said. “Our residents are able to participate in an effective way.”
Councilmember Rob Moore noted that Ristow was the first mayor he’d ever served under.
“Mayor Ristow really took me under her wing,” he said. “I will be forever grateful to you for that.”
Ristow said she recognized that there’d frequently been 3-2 votes, but said perhaps having these split-votes actually helps represent that there are real disagreements on issues in the community.
But now the two Council members who tend to make up the losing end of those votes—Hudes and Badame—will be in charge.
Ristow said Badame’s experience running meetings on Planning Commission and at times during Council meetings, is just one of her assets.
“You and I often view the Town through slightly different lenses,” she acknowledged, but added she admires Badame for sticking up for local merchants and service providers. “I know that you are more than ready.”
Only local attorney Karen Delaney, appearing via Zoom, spoke against Badame’s mayorship. She brought up Badame’s role in the censure of Councilmember Moore’s girlfriend (who was a Planning Commissioner at the time) for contacting the State (and using divisive language) to rail against NIMBY forces.
The censure was ultimately reversed with the help of the ACLU.
Barbara Spector, a three-term Los Gatos mayor, swore-in Badame and Hudes.
Her husband Ira was thrilled to see his wife come out of municipal-government retirement for the special occasion.
“I think they’re all qualified and passionate about the town,” he said of local leaders.
Marshall Smith, a Los Gatos resident, said he was there to support Badame.
He believes she’ll inject some “sensibility” into the community during her term in office.
Joe Rodgers, another Los Gatos local, noted Badame will have a lot on her plate.
“It’s a huge time commitment,” he said. “I think Mary Badame is very capable.”
In an interview with the Los Gatan, Badame said she would work with her fellow Council members “constructively and collectively.”
And Badame lauded Ristow for her year in the mayor’s chair.
“She led with passion, personality and perspective,” she said.
*Spelling of two former mayors’ names have been updated to correct typos.
