Daly City council certifies Nov. 5 election, swears in officials and elects new mayor and vice mayor

The Daly City Council adopted the official county certification of ballots from the Nov. 5, 2024, election and then moved through the evening's organizational business, swearing in council members and voting to install new leadership.

Mark Church, chief elections officer for San Mateo County, presented the certified canvas of votes for offices affecting Daly City and confirmed that the county had processed and recorded ballots and that records are available in the city clerk's office. The council put a resolution adopting the county certification on the floor, received a second, and approved it by roll-call vote with all members present voting "aye." The council's adoption formalized the official vote count for the specified city races and offices.

Following the certification, the council administered oaths of office to multiple officials. Rob Bonta, California attorney general, administered the oath to Jocelyn Cabrera Manalo, who thanked voters and outlined priorities for the new term including affordable housing, accessible parks and public safety investments. The council also administered oaths to Glenn Sylvester, Teresa Perano, Danica Halverson and Annette Hippona (city clerk), each offering brief remarks thanking family and community supporters.

After oaths, council members opened nominations for the office of mayor. Vice Mayor (name recorded in the proceedings) was nominated; councilmember DiGiovanni said she would abstain and criticized the departure from a rotation practice intended to broaden opportunity and inclusion. The council then closed nominations and conducted a roll-call vote; DiGiovanni recorded an abstention while the remaining members voted "aye," approving the nominee. An oath was administered to the newly selected mayor (identified in the transcript as Doctor Radhaas Meghbal), who delivered an inaugural-style address pledging "solicitude, stewardship and service."

The council followed the same procedure to nominate and elect Lehi Sylvester as vice mayor. Again DiGiovanni recorded an abstention; the rest of the council voted to confirm Sylvester, who was subsequently sworn in and spoke briefly about collaboration and service.

What happened next: The council adjourned after presenting mayoral awards and recognizing community volunteers and businesses. The city manager and department heads were acknowledged for 2024 accomplishments during the program.

Officials and actions reported: The county'certified canvas was presented and a council resolution adopting that certification was approved by roll call (unanimous "aye"); the council elected and swore in the mayor and vice mayor with one abstention recorded on the leadership votes. The minutes list the election certification, the oaths administered, and the roll-call tallies as the formal outcomes of the meeting.

The meeting record indicates that documents related to the certified canvas are available in the city clerk's office.