Lafayette Selects New Mayor and Vice Mayor

At their meeting on Dec. 9, the Lafayette City Council certified the results of November’s election, and John McCormick, Gina Dawson, Carl Anduri and newly elected Councilmember Jim Cervantes were sworn-in.

Also at the meeting, the City Council unanimously selected Susan Candell to serve as Mayor, and Carl Anduri to serve as Vice Mayor, for the next 12 months. The mayoral rotation in Lafayette is decided by a vote of the City Council during the first regular meeting in December; the selection is made from among the current Councilmembers and the term to serve as Mayor is for one year.

Susan Candell previously served as Mayor in 2021 and was first elected to the City Council in 2018. Carl Anduri was first elected to the Lafayette City Council in 2002 and served on the City Council until 2012. In his first stint on the City Council, he served as mayor in 2005 and 2011. He was re-elected to the City Council in 2020 and most recently served as Mayor in 2023.

Mayor Candell said, “I look forward to being the Mayor of Lafayette this year for many reasons - we have a terrific City Council, a dedicated and hardworking staff, and a new Police Chief James Williams. But the best reason to be optimistic is the vote of confidence from our residents who voted YES on our 1/2 cent sales tax so we can maintain the high quality of services for our lovely city. I truly thank all of you and will work hard to make sure that our city is the best we can be.”

For links to watch the December 9, 2024 City Council meeting or sign up to receive notices about upcoming City Council meetings, visit https://www.lovelafayette.org/Home/Components/News/News/10596/18

Introducing Jim Cervantes

Jim Cervantes and his family have lived in in Lafayette since 2013 and in Lamorinda for nearly 30 years. He retired in late 2020 from a 34-year career in Public Finance after engaging on nearly 500 municipal bond financings for California cities and public agencies.

• Cervantes was appointed to the City’s General Plan Advisory Committee and served as Vice-Chair and Chair during the GPAC’s work on the Housing Element.

• He was appointed by Supervisor Andersen to Contra Costa County’s Measure X Community Advisory Board, which recommended the expenditure of over $100 million of County sales taxes for public safety and other programs.

• He was appointed by Governor Newsom in 2022 to serve as Chair of the California Housing Finance Agency, the State’s affordable housing lender.

Cervantes has a degree in Sociology from Harvard College, participated in the Coro Foundation’s post-graduate fellowship in public policy and earned an MBA from the Stanford Graduate School of Business.

About Measure H

The City Council thanked Lafayette voters for approving Measure H, the ½ cent sales tax measure to maintain the current level of city services without eliminating or reducing services and programs. Measure H will go into effect on April 1, 2025 for seven years. The increase brings Lafayette’s sales tax rate to 9.25%, which is the same rate as Walnut Creek and Pleasant Hill. It is estimated that the sales tax will generate approximately $2.4 million annually for city services and programs.

City Manager Niroop K. Srivatsa provided an update to the City Council about the passage of Measure H by Lafayette voters. The local sales tax of ½-cent will be collected for a period of seven years starting on April 1, 2025. All funds generated by Measure H will be locally controlled. Under State law, the State cannot take this funding away and the City is not required to share it with any other government entity. Thus, 100% of the revenue will remain in the City to benefit Lafayette

Next Steps include:

• The City Council will establish the process to appoint a Measure H Citizen’s Oversight Committee.

• Staff will ensure that Measure H revenues and expenditures are included in the City’s annual financial audit.

• Staff will work with the Chamber and directly with the business community regarding implementation of the tax.

“The passage of Measure H by nearly two-thirds of the voters demonstrates that our residents trust how the City of Lafayette is being managed; something that the City Council and I take great pride in and pledge to maintain in the future,” said Srivatsa.

For more information, watch the December 9, 2024 City Council meeting on the City's YouTube Channel.