Petaluma's Newly Elected Mayor Aims To Be Voice Of Reason

PETALUMA, CA – After serving 12 years on the Petaluma City Council, Teresa Barrett was elected mayor in Tuesday's election. It is a post retiring Mayor David Glass held for 10 years.

Barrett was leading former Councilman Mike Harris by nearly 10 percent Wednesday.

"This is a great opportunity. We will also have a new city manager and two new councilmembers to look at our problems with new eyes. It's still very close to my win, I'm still floating on that, but I am surprised by the volume I won by," Barrett said Wednesday afternoon.

Known as politically progressive and an environmentalist, she was elected to the Petaluma City Council in 2006, re-elected in 2010 and 2014 and served as vice mayor in 2009 and 2017.

She said she and Glass, who's retiring, were in sync on the City Council, but they were in the minority.

"There were not very many opportunities to push an agenda in line with the General Plan," she said.

"We need to look at things differently that do not cause further gridlock. I'm happy the Proposition 6 gas tax repeal measure was defeated. It will help get the freeway (U.S. Highway 101) done within the next four years and get more money for road repairs," Barrett said.

Her campaign addressed the housing needs of the county's second largest city, fiscal responsibility, the banning of personal fireworks, play fields and open space, first-rate bike lanes and recreational opportunities, public safety and improvements to streets and traffic conditions.

Barrett favors locating housing, parking and infrastructure in transient-oriented areas, including the SMART train corridor, and environmentally responsible development with low cost of living options.

"This type of housing creates an economic stimulus for eastside and downtown while protecting our Urban Growth Boundary and avoiding urban sprawl," she said in her campaign statement.

She said as mayor one of her priorities will be to advance forward-thinking solutions to the city's housing challenges. She said she favors smart, managed growth.

Barrett said she has been pursuing a ban on personal fireworks for nearly a decade, and it is time to ramp up efforts to do so.

"Once confined to the Fourth of July, fireworks are now heard sporadically throughout the year and the increased frequency of their use parallels" the increased risk for fires and air pollution, she said in a campaign statement.

She said the fireworks also have a negative impact on people who suffer anxiety-related disorders such as post-traumatic stress disorder.

"I will be advocating for the council to vote on a ban by the end of this calendar year," Barrett said in her campaign statement.

Barrett said she intends to be a voice of reason for the community.

What happens now in Petaluma depends a lot on who the next city manager is, Barrett said Wednesday. The City Council is scheduled to discuss the progress on that search at its meeting on Nov. 19, Barrett said.

ALSO SEE:

• Measure M: Tax For Parks Passes In Sonoma County

• REAL-TIME RESULTS: Sonoma County's 2018 Midterm Election Races

--Bay City News/Image courtesy of Teresa Barrett for Petaluma Mayor 2018