Winners of the recent City Council elections were inaugurated Monday, Dec. 6 while council member Lane Santa Cruz was appointed to serve as Tucson’s new vice mayor for the next year.
The three council members who were inaugurated — Steve Kozachik, Richard Fimbres and newcomer Kevin Dahl — all handily won their elections last month by double-digit margins.
Dahl is replacing Councilwoman Karin Uhlich in Ward 3, who took office earlier this year to replace former Councilman Paul Durham after his resignation. Uhlich previously held the position from 2005 to 2017 and did not seek reelection.
Dahl
The newcomer also serves as the Arizona senior program manager at the National Parks Conservation Association. He is a longtime conservationist whose top issue is combating climate change during his first four-year term in office.
“I am so honored and excited to be on this (council) with people who have been governing this city so very well,” Dahl said after he was sworn in. “I campaigned on addressing the causes and effects of climate change at the local level. I know that the mayor and council have been doing a lot of fine work taking strong steps in this area. I look forward to putting my shoulder to the wheel and lending a hand to this very important work.”
Both Fimbres and Kozachik have served on the council since 2009. The Dec. 6 inauguration marked the start of their fourth terms representing Wards 5 and 6, respectively.
Tucson City Councilman Steve Kozachik takes the oath of office. His wife, Ann, is with him.
The council also went through the annual process of selecting one of their own to hold the position of vice mayor. The spot doesn’t have well-defined parameters in city policy, according to Mayor Regina Romero, but it largely consists of filling in for the mayor when she’s absent.
Outgoing Vice Mayor Nikki Lee made a motion to choose council member Santa Cruz as her replacement for the next year, which was then unanimously approved by the council.
Santa Cruz has represented Ward 1 on the council since in 2019. She has primarily focused on issues of equity while in office, most recently having spearheaded an effort to remove “gendered language” like “councilman” and “him” from city legislation.
She did not respond to the Star’s request for an interview or comment on her appointment during the meeting. Her website states that Santa Cruz’s mission as vice mayor “is to serve as the bridge between working families and city hall.”
“I want to thank Nikki Lee for her duty over the last year. I want to welcome Lane Santa Cruz,” Fimbres said after the council’s vote. “As a senior worker as an aide and now a senior worker as a council person, she brings a lot to the table. It’s very positive.”
Tucson City Councilman Richard Fimbres, accompanied by his wife, Mary, takes the oath of office.
Tucson Mayor Regina Romero discusses the city's progress in pandemic recovery, climate resiliency and community safety. Video courtesy of City of Tucson.
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