The crowd attending Watsonville City Council’s meeting got a surprise Tuesday evening as Speaker of the California Assembly Robert Rivas and his entourage entered the council chambers just in time for him to swear in Kristal Salcido and Maria Orozco as Watsonville’s new mayor pro tempore and mayor, respectively.
The agenda also included swearing-in ceremonies for incumbents Jimmy Dutra and Eduardo Montesito.
“I love living in Watsonville and being a champion for our community, whether that is for things like the Ramsay Park project, homeless issues or community safety,” Salcido said.
Orozco took time to express gratitude to the community.
“Thank you for making one of my dreams come true,” she said. “To every young person listening—don’t let fear hold you back. You have the power to make an impact.”
After graduating from Santa Clara University, Orozco returned to Watsonville to serve on Pajaro Valley Unified School District’s Board of Trustees at age 24, a seat she held for more than a decade. She served on several boards, committees and commissions, including Watsonville Parks and Recreation and Migrant Head Start.
In a prepared statement, Orozco said she remembers walking the hallways of the Civic Plaza with her father in 2012.
“I vividly remember standing before these historic photographs of the mayors and telling my father, ‘Daddy, my picture will be up there some day.’ Today the moment has come.”
In a slide presentation, Orozco outlined several of her goals, including:
- Attracting and streamlining the process for local businesses and planning construction projects.
- Creating a one-stop hub for existing businesses and start-ups to get help and resources.
- Attract businesses for family-friendly entertainment such as bowling
- Increase access to open park spaces
- Decrease vandalism to park bathrooms
- Expand janitorial services
- Road improvement and enhanced lighting on streets
