Santa Cruz's New Mayor Pledges to Work on Law and Order

Lynn Robinson, a landscape designer and artist, was sworn in Tuesday night as mayor of Santa Cruz and in her first speech she promised to work on making the city more safe. 

Robinson, 58, who took the gavel from Hilary Bryant, said she never imagined 20 years ago that she would be in office, or that she would have served seven years already on the city council. She launched her political career the same way that Barack Obama did, as a community organizer.

She was one of the founders of the community group Santa Cruz Neighbors, which focused on issues such as UCSC growth; neighborhood crime; traffic and development.
"My focus is to keep Santa Cruz safe and clean," she said before quoting from a recent report by the public safety commission listing the problems with crime and homelessness in the city of 59,000.

She spoke before a packed house Tuesday night in City Council Chambers (see video) and in her first action, gave a proclamation honoring outgoing Mayor Hilary Bryant. She declared Wednesday "Hilary Bryant Day." County Supervisors Zach Friend and Bruce McPherson did the same...only their day was Tuesday.

Bryant was happy to step down and her family was happier. Her son, Quintin, 9, said he was thrilled she was leaving the job and he would finally get to see her seven days a week. 

Don Lane, who has served on and off on the council since the early 1990s and been mayor twice, was named vice mayor. The city rotates the top spots among the highest vote getters in past elections.

In Santa Cruz style and at Robinson's request, the meeting started with a song by dentist and folksinger Alan Heit, who played John Lennon's "Imagine," two days after the 33rd anniversary of the singer's murder. 

Robinson also focused on big events coming up in the city, including the 50th anniversaries of UCSC and the Santa Cruz Yacht Harbor and the 100th anniversary of the Municipal Wharf.