San Bernardino mayor and city council installation held with much optimism as the first Asian-American mayor is sworn in

On December 21st, Helen Tran was officially sworn in as mayor of the City of San Bernardino. 

At the ceremony, incumbents Theodore Sanchez (Ward 1), Sandra Ibarra (Ward 2), and Fred Shorett (Ward 4) were also sworn in. 

The high-energy ceremony posed much optimism from local dignitaries such as Assembly Majority Leader Eloise Gomez Reyes and the community, who happily reiterated Tran’s coined campaign phrase, “TRANSformation.”

“San Bernardino is about to be TRANSformed. It was my honor to attend the swearing-in ceremony for the 30th mayor of San Bernardino, Helen Tran, and the re-elected members of the city council, Theodore Sanchez (Ward 1), Sandra Ibarra (Ward 2), and Fred Shorett (Ward 4). Mayor Helen Tran made history by becoming the first Asian American elected official and only the third woman to be elected mayor of San Bernardino,” said Reyes. 

As Tran steps into her mayoral role, her top priorities still include restoring trust in local government, COVID-19 Pandemic Recovery, and reducing homelessness. 

“I plan to build housing and emergency accommodations fast by identifying new funding and cutting red tape to ensure that there are places for people experiencing housing insecurity and homelessness to go. In addition, I’ll expand mental health services within the city, county, and state levels to create new comprehensive mental health care so that those with severe mental illness are in treatment, not on the sidewalk. It’s also important for us to work with drug and alcohol treatment service providers to help unhoused people transition to stable life and employment and break destructive patterns of behavior,” said Tran. 

Tran also said she looks forward to building a transparent and visible functioning local government to help rebuild years of lost trust after the city’s bankruptcy and other scandals. 

“This will require bringing together important community leaders and practicing good governance in the city. Additionally, I want to develop partnerships with the County of San Bernardino and the State of California to facilitate shared services throughout the city, allowing for improved services and savings. Finally, I want to focus on simple good governance by expanding parks and open space, rebuilding streets and sidewalks, and removing trash and other blight from our streets,” concluded Tran. 

Also at the Installation was the city’s former mayor, John Valdivia, who served as a council member from 2012 to 2018 before his controversial 4-year term as mayor, which began in 2018. 

“I wish the mayor and council members the best as they work collaboratively to move the city of San Bernardino to greater heights. I look forward to working with them towards a better future for the Inland Empire,” concluded Reyes. 

To learn more about the City of San Bernardino, visit sbcity.org.