Milpitas swears in Carmen Montano; Evelyn Chua and William Lam join council; outgoing Anthony Phan honored

Mayor Carmen Montano, Vice Mayor Evelyn Chua and newly sworn Council Member William Lam took oaths of office during a Dec. 10 special meeting of the Milpitas City Council at Milpitas City Hall. The council also recognized outgoing Council Member Anthony Phan with a flag flown over the civic center and certificates of appreciation from state and federal offices.

The swearing-in began after the council paused its organizational business for a ceremonial segment. City Clerk Guzzetta administered or facilitated the certification and the oaths. Mayor Carmen Montano was sworn in by her granddaughter, Dominique Walker. In remarks after the oath, Mayor Montano thanked voters and city staff and said she was “honored” and “humbled” to serve another two-year term. She listed public safety, city maintenance and partnerships with schools as priorities.

Evelyn Chua was sworn in as a council member by her granddaughter, Annalyn Chua Bui. Chua told the gathering she was “blessed” and said she planned to strengthen public safety, pursue business retention and address needs for seniors and youth. Chua described a federal grant she said was secured through Congressman Ro Khanna’s office—a $3,000,000 award she characterized as an initiative to help convert household appliances from gas to electric for about 1,000 homes. The council recording shows Chua presenting that figure and describing the project as “going electric Milpitas.”

William Lam was sworn in by his wife, Cecile Lam. Lam thanked supporters and described his campaign’s door‑to‑door outreach. He said he will focus on public safety, quality of life and fiscal stewardship.

Before the new officials took their seats, City Manager Ned Thomas introduced outgoing Council Member Anthony Phan and presented him a U.S. flag that had flown over the civic center earlier in the month. Representatives from Congressman Ro Khanna’s office, Assembly Member Alex Lee, and the Santa Clara County Board of Supervisors presented certificates recognizing Phan’s service. Phan thanked staff, public safety personnel and voters, and he specifically thanked City Manager Thomas.

The council recessed for a community reception in the city hall rotunda and planned to reconvene at 7 p.m. to continue regular business. The ceremonial portion concluded before the council returned to agenda items later in the evening.

Ending note: The ceremony included several local and regional elected‑office representatives and staff who presented recognitions; a short video and a reception followed the oaths.