The Cloverdale City Council selected its mayor and vice mayor for the upcoming year, with 2021 Vice Mayor Todd Lands selected as mayor and Councilmember Gus Wolter as vice mayor.
At the start of the meeting, Mayor Marta Cruz jointly proposed that Lands be named mayor, with Councilmember Melanie Bagby as vice mayor. However, the majority of the council wanted the two selection processes to be separate from one another.
Following a 4-1 vote in favor of Lands taking over the gavel — Councilmember Melanie Bagby dissented — Cruz separately brought forth a motion that Bagby be selected as vice mayor, with Bagby declining the nomination.
A motion from Councilmember Joe Palla that Wolter take over the vice mayor seat was met with a 3-2 vote. In the vote for Wolter, both Cruz and Bagby voted against the appointment.
“It has been a pleasure over the past year working with you, collaborating with you,” Lands said to Cruz. “It’s been great because we don’t think the same, and that’s the best part of it. We find ways to work for everyone and there’s a lot of people that I don’t think about, that you do, and vice versa. We’ve done a lot in a short amount of time and I thank you for everything you’ve done.”
Mayor-elect Lands’ comments to Cruz were echoed by both Wolter and Palla.
“I know we don’t always agree, but I certainly do always respect and think highly (of you). You’ve done a lot,” Palla said.
Lands will take over for Cruz as mayor at the council’s first January meeting. Cruz, who is the city’s first Latina mayor, has been in the mayor’s seat since May, following former mayor Jason Turner’s resignation from the city council.
“I have been working very hard from day one on this council, and I will continue to do so because the issues that Cloverdale is facing are not going away. We need to continue that mutual and collaborative vision for making things happen,” Cruz said.
The last council meeting of the year is canceled, with the next Cloverdale City Council meeting taking place after the new year.
