Belmont to see new at-large mayor; 2 new councilmembers

Mates received 6,351 votes, or 65.08%, while Councilmem-ber Warren Lieberman received 3,408 votes, or 34.92%. The election was the first under the new district elections for four districts and the fifth council seat occupied by the at-large mayor serving a two-year term. Mates will be the only representative voted on by all residents and now represents a broad swath of people and interests, with her focus on cooperation between all.

“It really is our city collectively, and it will be about bringing people together and having them see the bigger picture,” Mates said.

Mates is biracial and a member of the AAPI community. She has lived in Belmont since 2006 and is a working parent. She served as mayor in 2022 before running for the at-large mayor position. Mates said everyone she talks to wants to keep Belmont’s small town feel, with worry about where to place growth and development. Mates said she would focus on uniting Belmont residents and increasing connectivity between all people throughout the city.

One way is by creating spaces where people can gather together and build connections through events and meetings. One of those is by renovating the old Barrett Community Center. Mates is the director of development of the newly formed nonprofit Belmont Community Foundation. She and several other community members will work to raise money to bring the new community center to reality. The group includes Ulla Foehr, Michelle Kelley, Mandy Gibbs and Robin Bennett. The space would have more amenities and serve as an emergency center and cooling station. Mates said the community has made clear the community center needs renovation to suit the city’s needs.

“That’s one of the things that I want to focus on ... creating those spaces so we can join and come together as a community,” Mates said.

She noted Stanford University coming to the Notre Dame de Namur University campus will be beneficial but create impacts, something she is monitoring. Stanford is exploring buying the campus and using the site for educational use, including restoring the closed Ralston Hall and funding improvements to the Ralston Avenue and campus entrance intersection.

For District 1, Latimerlo finished with 1,052 votes, or 59.67%, over Realtor Michael Craig with 711 votes, or 40.33%, to represent East Belmont. Latimerlo has lived in District 1 for 20 years and is currently a Carlmont parent and a small business owner. She lives in the Homeview neighborhood and is running to stay ahead of the development curve, improving communication between the city and residents and increasing opportunities for local leaders of diverse backgrounds.

“I’m honored to be chosen as Belmont’s District 1 City Council Member,” Latimerlo said by email. “Our district is the center of growth for Belmont, and I’m dedicated to making this time a true revitalization for us, one that both maintains the things that we love about our current community and moves us forward together to embrace the opportunities of the future.

Priority issues include likely development changes as the area around El Camino Real and Old County Road sees anticipated growth and density in the coming years. Other topics include the status of cannabis retail and distribution stores, the budget and public safety.

In Belmont’s District 3, Robin Pang-Maganaris ran uncontested. Pang-Maganaris has lived in Belmont since 1994, with her two children attending Belmont schools. She served as Nesbit Elementary School principal from 2011 to 2020 before becoming a principal in East Palo Alto. She retired in June and is from Hawaii. Pang-Maganaris talked with current councilmembers about the decision to run and felt encouraged to run to serve Belmont amid more free time following her retirement.

“It’s an honor to take on this opportunity,” Pang-Maganaris said. “I know I’m following in the shoes of [Councilmember] Charles Stone, who has done a tremendous job over the past years building this new Belmont.”

Pang-Maganaris said her priority is increasing opportunities for affordable housing for all, particularly those who work in Belmont but can’t afford it. She also wants to increase city diversity programs, find new revenue opportunities to maintain quality of life, ensure open spaces remain available, and increase retail stores. Pang-Maganaris said residents’ main worries are street improvements and having reasonable growth.

Pang-Maganaris said her experience as an educator and principal running a school has helped prepare her for the role she now occupies.

“It’s a lot of listening, a lot of responding, connecting with people, and doing your best to make everyone as satisfied as possible, but at the same time, sticking true to what the strategic goals are,” she said.

Stone is leaving the council because his term expires in 2022 and he decided not to run for reelection and instead for a county supervisor seat that was won by Noelia Corzo. Lieberman is also leaving because his term ends in 2022 and he did not win the mayoral race. Tom McCune and Davina Hurt are in a term that is up for election in 2024. The Belmont oath of office ceremony will be on Dec. 13, after the Dec. 8 final official certification results.