Mountain View council unanimously elects Emily Ann Ramos as mayor; Chris Clark named vice mayor
Loading...
Summary
At a special Jan. 13 reorganization meeting, the Mountain View City Council unanimously elected Vice Mayor Emily Ann Ramos as mayor — the city's first Filipino American mayor — and chose Council member Chris Clark as vice mayor. Outgoing Mayor Ellen Kamay highlighted childcare, parental leave and housing achievements.
Emily Ann Ramos was unanimously elected mayor of Mountain View on Jan. 13 during a special reorganization meeting, where the council also elected Council member Chris Clark as vice mayor. Council member Chris Clark nominated Ramos; Council member Matt McAllister seconded the nomination, and the council voted unanimously to install Ramos as mayor. Council member Chris Clark was nominated to be vice mayor by Council member Ramirez, seconded by Council member Showalter, and likewise won a unanimous vote.
The meeting included a formal proclamation and multiple tributes to outgoing Mayor Ellen Kamay, who served as mayor in 2025 and delivered remarks summarizing the council's recent priorities and achievements. Kamay highlighted programs and budget items adopted last year, saying, “Being a community for all means creating a true sense of belonging ensuring safety, dignity, and opportunity at every stage of life.” She noted specific steps in the city budget to support families and staff: “In this year's budget, we included a $100,000 subsidy to help offset costs at learning links,” and pointed to the city’s parental leave policy and reserves. Kamay said the council made the 8-week paid family leave pilot permanent and reflected a $1,000,000 parental leave reserve in the recommended budget.
Ramos, who took office immediately following the vote, described her priorities as centered on community engagement and inclusion. “I will be the first person of Filipino descent to serve as mayor of the city,” Ramos said, and called on residents to volunteer with neighborhood associations, nonprofit agencies and city programs to help shape local government.
Business and regional officials joined the meeting to honor the outgoing mayor. Peter Katz, CEO of the Mountain View Chamber of Commerce, thanked Kamay on behalf of the chamber’s membership: “I just wanna really thank… Mayor Kamay for all of her help and support through the years.” County and legislative staff from the offices of the Santa Clara County Board of Supervisors, the state assembly, the state senate and a U.S. congressional office presented commendations and certificates of recognition.
Kamay’s remarks listed several accomplishments during her year, citing the opening of a new aquatic center, an inclusive playground, bicycle-safety pilot projects, the opening of the La Avenida Apartments in North Bayshore, the El Camino Real rehabilitation and ADA improvements, and the placement of the city’s first emergency ambulance into service. She also referenced ongoing work on a comprehensive homelessness response strategy, the “community for all” grant program, expanded language leadership academies and a planned childcare center at the Evelyn affordable housing project in partnership with Affirmed Housing.
Votes at a glance: the council unanimously approved the nomination of Emily Ann Ramos as mayor (motion: nomination by Council member Clark; second: Council member McAllister; outcome: approved) and unanimously approved the nomination of Council member Chris Clark as vice mayor (motion: nomination by Council member Ramirez; second: Council member Showalter; outcome: approved).
The meeting adjourned after brief remarks from the incoming mayor and vice mayor; refreshments were offered in the rotunda following the ceremony. The next regular City Council meeting is scheduled for Jan. 27, 2026.
