Mountain View council honors outgoing members, swears in three and unanimously elects new mayor and vice mayor

Mountain View — At a special City Council meeting on Feb. 25, 2025, the Mountain View City Council honored outgoing Council Members Margaret Abekoga and Lisa Matacek, administered oaths of office to three newly elected council members and unanimously elected Council Member Ellen Kamei as mayor and Council Member Emily Ann Ramos as vice mayor.

The meeting opened with proclamations and a farewell video for both Margaret Abekoga and Vice Mayor Lisa Matacek. Council members and regional representatives lauded Abekoga’s and Matacek’s years of service, citing leadership on housing, transportation, environmental sustainability and local economic programs. County and state representatives presented certificates recognizing their contributions. Abekoga, who told the council, “I love this community so much,” said earlier that day she had attended her first meeting as a member of the Santa Clara County Board of Supervisors and that she felt her work on the council was complete: “I believe my job here is done.”

Why it matters: Council leadership changes set the tone for policy priorities, staffing relationships and regional collaboration. The newly sworn-in members and the council’s leadership votes determine who will preside over agenda-setting, council procedures and interagency coordination in the coming year.

Details of proclamations and remarks

Mayor Patricia Showalter read long-form proclamations summarizing the outgoing members’ records, which included local and regional roles and city initiatives such as affordable-housing projects, the Castro Street pedestrian mall and climate and sustainability actions. Showalter used her remarks to highlight local resilience and regional coordination on climate risks, saying, “I can assure you that we can expect stability from this jurisdiction,” and noting Mountain View’s recovery efforts after recent statewide challenges.

Council members, city staff and community groups offered public remarks. Representatives from the Mountain View Chamber of Commerce and the nonprofit LifeMoves thanked the outgoing officials for their work supporting businesses and shelter services. Several council colleagues praised Abekoga’s regional representation and Matacek’s focus on livability, parks, and historic preservation.

Oaths and new council members

The council administered oaths of office to three members: Emily Ann Ramos, Chris Clark and John McAllister. The city clerk led the oath and each new council member made brief remarks. Council Member Emily Ann Ramos said, “Everyone deserves a place to go call home,” expressing housing affordability and climate resilience among her top priorities going forward.

Elections for mayor and vice mayor

Following the oath-taking, the council moved to nominations for mayor. Council Member Emily Ann Ramos nominated Council Member Ellen Kamei for mayor; Council Member Allison Hicks seconded the nomination. The council voted by roll call; the motion passed unanimously (7-0). The roll-call votes recorded the following yes votes: Emily Ann Ramos, Allison Hicks, Chris Clark, Ellen Kamei, John McAllister, Casimir Ramirez and Mayor Patricia Showalter (acting chair at the time of the vote). The council then nominated and unanimously elected Emily Ann Ramos as vice mayor; Council Member Chris Clark made the nomination and Council Member Ramirez seconded. The roll-call vote for vice mayor was likewise unanimous (7-0).

What the votes mean: The mayor and vice mayor positions are selected by the council membership and will preside over city meetings and represent Mountain View regionally. Council members said the leadership selections were intended to preserve continuity while offering all members opportunities for leadership roles.

Next steps and context

The council closed the meeting with brief remarks from the incoming mayor and vice mayor. Mayor Ellen Kamei said the council should “reaffirm our commitment to our council goal of promoting a community for all” and stressed priorities including protections for vulnerable residents and support for small businesses. Vice Mayor Emily Ann Ramos reiterated housing affordability, climate resiliency and civic engagement as priorities. The meeting adjourned at 7:56 p.m., and a public reception followed.

The council’s next regular meeting is scheduled for Jan. 28, 2025; the Feb. 25 meeting was convened as a special session for the ceremonial items and leadership votes.