The following is the first speech given by Mayor Caroline Torosis moments after her swearing in ceremony last night, Tuesday, December 9. The video begins at the start of her speech. A transcript follows.
Thank you colleagues. Thank you former Mayor Negrete.
I’m humbled, and I’m energized to be here today as your mayor. And let me say this clearly, I didn’t come here to fill a seat. I came here to get things done.
When I think about what being mayor really means, I do not think about a title. I think about responsibility. I think about the simple promise that local government can and should make life better for the people who live and work in this city.
We are at a turning point as a city, not a crisis, but a moment where the choices we make will determine what kind of city we become for future generations. I am stepping into this role with a clear agenda and a clear philosophy, because leadership, to me, is about clarity and honesty. It’s about naming the challenges in front of us, choosing a direction and staying accountable for delivering solutions. It’s about progress that you can see and feel every day and measure over time, and it is about taking responsibility for our financial future. We will right the fiscal ship so that the city can meet not just this moment, but the moment 10 and 20 years from now.
That is the spirit of our Renaissance Agenda. It’s our commitment to a city that is clean, safe, affordable, vibrant and proud of itself. A city where renters feel secure, where neighborhoods feel cared for, where families can put down roots, and where businesses can thrive again.
As mayor, here’s what we’re going to do together. I know that we’re not always going to agree on everything, but we are going to work together to leave this city better than we found it. We will deliver cleaner and safer streets. That means fast graffiti removal, more consistent sanitation, better lighting and more visible public safety presence. People should feel safe walking to work, to school, to dinner or to the bus. They should see a city that is maintained and cared for.
We will strengthen renter protections and expand access to affordable and stable housing. Santa Monica has always been a place where working people can build a life. We will protect that. We will guard against displacement, support renters with strong consumer protections and continue building the housing this moment requires for young professionals and working families. We will also stand firm for those working families in a time when the federal government is absolutely failing to do so.
Across the country, we see a tax on renters, on basic safety net programs, and on the workers and immigrants who keep our communities running. Santa Monica will not follow that path. We will hold the line on affordability, and we will protect the people that make this city work.
We will bring economic life back to our corridors in our downtown, and we are already seeing the momentum. You will see more major events and activations coming soon, more reasons for people to rediscover the heart of this city. We are preparing to welcome visitors from across the world for the World Cup, the Super Bowl and the Olympic Games. These moments will showcase Santa Monica on an international stage and support our local economy by driving foot traffic and spending that will grow our businesses. These events will also help rebuild the city’s long term financial stability.
A strong local economy means stronger city services.
We will also make our city government more transparent and accountable. In the coming weeks, we will launch Santa Monica Scorecard to track our progress towards achieving the realignment plan. This scorecard will publish clear data on how we’re doing in core areas like safety, cleanliness, housing, economic recovery and workforce health, no guessing, no vague promises, just measurable progress that everyone can track. Residents deserve that level of transparency, and our staff deserve clear goals that guide their work.
I just want to pause for a moment and speak directly to the staff. <applause> You make this city function every day.
Yes, thank you. You fix the streetlights, answer the calls, clean the sidewalks, run the programs, respond to emergencies, manage the budgets and support our seniors and youth. We absolutely could not do this without you, because, as you’ve heard multiple times, this is a part time Council. You do the hard work. I know these have been challenging years. I want you to know that the work you do matters deeply to all of us. Our success depends on your success. That’s why we invested and will continue to invest in your morale, your training and your ability to do your job well.
A strong municipal workforce means a strong city.
We also cannot ignore the national landscape. Working families are under attack. Federal policy choices are putting pressure on renters, on immigrants, on low income residents and on local governments asked to do more with less.
In the coming weeks, I will be asking my council colleagues to join me in bringing forward policies that will strengthen affordability, expand protections for working families and help residents weather the storm coming from Washington. If the federal government steps back, we will step up.
Santa Monica is no longer in free fall, but we are in a serious moment that calls for serious leadership. Rising costs test our families. Disorder in our public spaces continues to test our patience. A changing economy tests our resilience, but this city has never been defined by its challenges. We are defined by how we respond to them, and we are already responding.
We are restoring confidence downtown and improving the visitor experience. We are strengthening protections for renters. We are improving safety, we are restoring city services and reopening our libraries. We are getting back to basics in building momentum.
And soon, through Santa Monica Scorecard, we will show exactly how our work is moving the needle. Being mayor is about more than any agenda. It’s about the philosophy you bring to public service. To me, being mayor means service before anything else. It means amplifying Santa Monica’s work in the region, bringing home resources for our city, and listening to feedback and turning it into action. It means being steady when things are noisy, calm, when things are tense, and fair when choices are difficult.
I believe the job of mayor is to keep the city grounded in its values while moving toward our future. It’s taking pride in the small wins as much as the big ones, and it’s remembering that leadership is not about being the center of everything. It’s about being accountable for everything. This role is a trust I will work every day to honor with clarity, humility and determination. Santa Monica’s best days are ahead of us. We will get there by focusing on what works, fixing what does not, and building a city that feels safe, clean, welcoming and full of opportunity for everyone.
Thank you to my council colleagues for working alongside me and trusting our city with this responsibility. I just want to say thank you to my family that’s here…
Sorry…I could not do…I think as long as said, we absolutely could not do this without you. Dan, my husband, who literally supports me in every single thing that I do. My sister, my brother in law, my nephews, my parents…I am only here today because I stand on your shoulders. Thank you for every minute of support that you’ve ever given me.
I’m ready to get to work with all of you, so let’s get it done.
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