Berkeley Mayor Sworn In to New Term
December 3, 2020
Mayor Jesse Arreguin and Councilmembers Participate in Unique Ceremony Due to COVID-19
BERKELEY–Just two days after the Alameda County Registrar of Voters certified the results of the 2020 Election, Berkeley Mayor Jesse Arreguin was sworn into his second term in a unique ceremony held outdoors and conducted under strict COVID-19 protocols developed by the Berkeley Health Department. To minimize the spread of COVID-19, attendance was restricted and the event was live streamed for the public to view. A link of the ceremony can be found here:
“I am humbled and honored that the Berkeley community has placed their trust in me to serve this amazing city as Mayor”, said Mayor Arreguin. “I remain committed to addressing the issues of our times, from COVID-19 to housing and homelessness, while continuing efforts to transform public safety and infrastructure”.
Mayor Arreguin, who won by 38.5 points, was elected by the largest margin in a Berkeley Mayor’s race since 1967. In addition, Mayor Arreguin’s 36,515 vote victory is the largest number of votes a Mayoral candidate has ever received in city history.
Mayor Arreguin will focus his second four-year term on continuing the work he initiated during his first term as Mayor. Shortly after being sworn in during the first term, he launched the Pathways Program with Councilmember Hahn, which led the creation of the STAIR Center, the East Bay’s first low-barrier 24-hour-a-day shelter, which provides job assistance, mental health and substance abuse treatments, which has moved more than 250 people from the streets to permanent housing. Arreguin championed Measures O & P which was overwhelmingly approved in 2018, providing $135 million in bonds for affordable housing and $6-8 million annually in homeless services. Affordable housing production has accelerated, with over 400 units approved or under construction, with decisions on further funding allocations to continue in the next term.
In summer 2020, during the nationwide Black Lives Matter movement, the Mayor led the charge on reimagining public safety, bringing together various proposals from the Council, including removing traffic enforcement from the Police Department. This community-driven process will continue and be finalized during the next year. Another major project that will be implemented in the upcoming term is Vision 2050, a generational approach to upgrading Berkeley’s aging infrastructure through developing resilient and environmentally friendly technology.
With 2020 being dominated by the COVID-19 pandemic, the Mayor and Council took quick action to provide resources and protections to tenants and businesses impacted by the state of emergency, and launched the Berkeley Relief Fund to provide further financial support, which recently began a second round of fundraising. In 2021, much of the City’s focus will be on distributing the vaccine and protecting people and businesses vulnerable to the economic repercussions once the health crisis is over while ensuring City services are maintained despite decreased revenues.
Mayor Arreguin will also continue his role as President of the Association of Bay Area Governments, the Bay Area’s regional planning agency and Council of Governments. ABAG promotes regional collaboration to address shared housing, transportation, economic inequality, and climate change challenges impacting the 101 municipalities in the region.
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