Buenaventura sits anew as Daly City mayor

Daly City Mayor Buenaventura being sworn into office by State Assemblyman Phil Ting in Tuesday’s ceremony. PHOTO BY ROSE PAQUETTE

DALY CITY, California — Re-elected city council member Filipino-American Democrat Raymond A. Buenaventura regained his seat as Daly City mayor while former councilmember Sal Torres was appointed as the new Vice-Mayor on Tuesday, December 2.

Two other elected council members and well-known local political figures Mike Guingona, a Filipino American, and Judith Christensen were sworn into office by State Assemblyman Phil Ting in a turnover rites and swearing-in of officials at City Hall.

Outgoing Mayor David Canepa, in what was dubbed a power-sharing decision, endorsed Buenaventura as mayor before the council voting. The latter won by a point-margin (3-2) over Guingona.

Buenaventura served as the city mayor from 2012 to 2013, and later vacated his post in a failed bid for San Mateo Country Superior Court Judge earlier this year. Canepa was then voted in as mayor by the city council.

Shortly after relinquishing his post as mayor, Canepa joined his fellow council members, Guingona and Christensen in the chamber. The former mayor “did good this year and worked well on the city budget despite difficult challenges,” according to Torres.

Torres replaces outgoing Vice-Mayor Carol L. Klatt, who served the city for over two decades. Klatt is retiring to join her husband, John, and an ailing son in Las Vegas.

“Vice-mayor Carol Klatt served for 21 tremendous years,” according to Canepa in presenting the city council’s gift, a Pandora bracelet, to Klatt, who is also dubbed as “Mrs. Daly City.”

Meanwhile, Canepa awarded the Great Citizen of the Year to Paul Mogannaun, operator of Burgermeizer in Westlake District, who was said to be “the living proof of the American Dream.”

“The Youth of the Year Award went to 17-year-old Jada Rivera, a Filipino-Salvadoran-American, who was recognized for active involvement in Jefferson High School.

Swearing in

Also present during the ceremony were Consul General Henry Bensurto, Jr.; Erlinda Galeon, Commissioner, Daly City Public Library and President, Pilipino Bayanihan Resource Center; Perla Barrientos, Ray Satorre; Anette Hipona; Dee Canepa; Anna Valenzuela; City Clerk; City Rose L. Zimmerman, City Attorney; and, Daneca M. Halvorson, City Treasurer.

Buenaventura thanked Assemblyman Ting “for representing our community in Sacramento and for (all) the bills passed in legislation.”

Similarly, he thanked his constituents, supporters, council members, “my wife, Cathy, and son, Matt,” and reiterated his belief in “my obligation for myself and people’s lives.”

Daly City Mayor Ray Buenaventura is flanked by city council members; from left to right: Council members Mike Guingona, outgoing Mayor David Canepa (now joining the chamber), Sal Torres, and Judith Christensen. PHOTO BY ROSE PAQUETTE

He told INQUIRER.net: “(I’m) very humbled for this opportunity and it’s a responsibility that I accept with great humility to serve our people and Daly City and move forward.”

Buenaventura said, “I think as a council, we’re better off united not divided.” He said he would “try his best to unite us (council), discuss with each other, able to debate — because that’s what’s called for in a good government while I hope we can continue to do that, we’re equally the same, all voices are being heard and we can make honest, just decisions.”

Rotation for mayor

To put an end to election-campaign activities at city-owned buildings, deemed a “conflict of interest,” councilmember Christensen proposed a standard rotation for mayor.

“(Let’s) seriously focus on finding solutions, and also we have to have term limits for council members,” she said stressing that, “people in office stay for too long they feel entitled.”

Christensen proposed a process for rotating mayors — “A person who has not been mayor for a long time is the next person — Mike, Sal, me and Ray. “

Meanwhile, mayoral contender Guingona, who was endorsed by Christensen, reacting to power-sharing, said, “The people of Daly City deserve a change. It’s clean. That’s a political decision, it’s orchestrated,” referring to the swift voting done by the majority of council members. “I have no political agenda.”

Guingona was the first Fil-Am and the youngest member in the city council, sworn in 1993. He served as mayor for five years with six terms in the city council. Connie Lichauco, Guingona’s mother, recalled that her son used to work at the Public Defenders’ Office at 32 years old.