Let's take a look back at year in office

Hello Watsonville, as this is my last column as your mayor. I want to start by stating that it has been my absolute privilege to serve as your mayor. Working with a great City Council, we tackled many issues this past year.

Our emergency response during the floods saw our dedicated employees and countless members of our community step up to provide aid without hesitation to residents in time of need. While this was challenging, working with both counties, the state, our school district, the federal government, and countless local agencies we were able to get through the emergency and support residents recovery efforts after the flood.

This year saw us move the community forward on several fronts. In March, we relaunched the Youth Job Training program, “Opportunity to Work” that allows residents to gain essential work skills and earn industry certifications and licenses to help them be job ready. Along with three other councilmembers and executive staff we traveled to Washington, D.C., to meet with our state's federal delegation to discuss important infrastructure investments, including the Pajaro River levee restoration project.

Working with the council we were able to allocate $270,000 in Social and Community Services Grants to 23 local community based organizations. Continuing our effort for transparency, the library launched its mobile app in May and our police department established the chief's Advisory Board in June, bringing together a diverse group of community members who can provide advice to our organization and help the police chief better understand the concerns of the community.

We adopted the 2023-2025 strategic plan in July, which aligns council priorities and community needs with the budget and sets forth a forwardlooking vision for the city and the services we offer to the community. The plan reflects seven priorities: economic development; infrastructure& environment; housing; fiscal health;