Raymond Gregory sworn in as Cathedral City mayor; Ernesto Gutierrez named mayor pro tem
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Summary
The Cathedral City Council appointed Raymond Gregory as mayor and Ernesto Gutierrez as mayor pro tem during a special meeting; the oath was administered and both delivered brief remarks outlining priorities including staffing, road repairs and development code updates.
Raymond Gregory was sworn in as mayor of Cathedral City at a special council meeting, and Ernesto Gutierrez was appointed mayor pro tem after a council motion passed by voice vote.
The council moved to make the appointments as part of a legislative action citing Cathedral City Municipal Code section 2.04.180. Council member Gutierrez moved the appointments and council member Lamb seconded the motion; the presiding officer announced, “motion carries. All ayes.”
An oath of office was administered. In the oath sequence, Gregory repeated the sworn language, beginning, “I, Raymond Gregory, do solemnly swear,” and affirmed to support and defend the Constitutions of the United States and California.
In his remarks after the oath, Mayor Raymond Gregory thanked colleagues and staff and said one of his immediate duties will be participating in the search for a new city manager. He also cited forthcoming vacancies the council will need to fill, including the police chief and city clerk, and highlighted infrastructure and development priorities: “We have a renewed ability to repair roads,” he said, and noted plans to modernize the city’s development code and continue work with the Desert Recreation District on parks and programs.
Ernesto Gutierrez, introduced as mayor pro tem, offered supportive remarks about teamwork and community engagement and said he would help the mayor advance city priorities. Both officials emphasized staff contributions and community events as evidence of the city’s progress.
The appointment at the special meeting was procedural and took effect immediately following the vote and the oath. The council did not record an itemized roll-call vote in the transcript; the presiding officer’s announcement of “All ayes” was the recorded outcome.
The meeting transitioned to recognition of the outgoing mayor and closed with an invitation to a reception in the lobby.
Next steps: Council members noted that recruitment for the city manager and other vacancies will proceed, and the new mayor signaled an early focus on staffing and capital maintenance planning.