Before starting their work as elected officials in Santa Barbara County, the winners of this year’s November general election will be sworn in at several scheduled meetings in December and into early next year.
The Santa Barbara County Elections Office certified and published the Nov. 3 results in late November, and traditional swearing-in ceremonies will look a little different this year because of a pandemic.
In-person meetings are closed to the public in an attempt to combat the spread of COVID-19, meaning community members can watch the swearing-in of elected officials online.
A few swearing-in ceremonies already have taken place.
Wearing a face mask covering her nose and mouth, Monique Limón was sworn in on Monday for the 19th state Senate District seat.
Some of California’s newly elected or re-elected officials attended in-person at the physically distanced meeting in Sacramento, but Limón participated remotely.
“Today, I took the oath to represent Senate District 19,” Limón wrote on Twitter Monday. “I am honored to represent the people of Ventura and Santa Barbara counties, and I will continue to serve and be a champion for #SD19 (Senate District 19) in the Legislature.”
Santa Barbara County Superior Court Judge Raimundo Montes De Oca administered the oath to Limón.
The Democrat won the seat held by Hannah-Beth Jackson, who is leaving because of term limits. The 19th District stretches from Santa Maria to Camarillo.
Democrat Steve Bennett, a former Ventura County supervisor, took the oath of office to serve as the newest assemblyman for the 37th Assembly District on Monday during a ceremony held at the arena for the Sacramento Kings.
California Assembly Speaker Anthony Rendon administered the oath to Bennett, and no audience was allowed.
“I am honored and humbled to represent the people of the 37th Assembly District in Sacramento,” Bennett said in a statement.
The 37th Assembly district covers the communities in southern Santa Barbara County and western Ventura County.
Assemblyman Jordan Cunningham, R-San Luis Obispo, was sworn in to his third term in the 35th Assembly District seat on Monday.
“The next two years will be unlike any two in our state’s history,” Cunningham said in a statement. “As we continue to take steps to fight COVID-19, we must also start to think about the recovery that must take place.
“The recovery will not just be an economic recovery, but a physical and mental recovery as well — especially among our school-aged children,” he continued. “I pledge to represent each and every member of our community in the assembly, and continue to put our community’s well-being and best interest above partisan politics.”
Cunningham’s district includes the Santa Maria and Lompoc valleys, plus San Luis Obispo County.
A swearing-in ceremony for the newly elected Lompoc City Councilman Jeremy Ball, as well as Mayor Jenelle Osborne and Councilwoman Gilda Cordova occurred last week at a scheduled meeting.
The Guadalupe City Council will take their oaths on Tuesday during the City Council meeting. It will start at 6 p.m. and be broadcast live on Charter Spectrum Cable Channel 20. Click here for more information.
In Buellton, the newest and returning City Council members will be sworn in at a meeting on Thursday. Beginning at 6 p.m., the meeting will be streaming live on the city’s website and the city’s YouTube channel. Click here for more information.
The swearing-in of Mayor Holly Sierra, returning Councilman John Sanchez and newcomer Elysia Lewis will take place individually and before their seating, in small ceremonies with the city clerk, because of COVID-19 precautions.
The installation of the new members of the Carpinteria City Council will take place at the Dec. 14 meeting. The meeting will begin at 5:30 p.m. and it can be viewed live on the city’s website or on local GATV Channel 21. Click here for more information.
The Solvang City Council will take their oath on Dec. 14 during a regularly scheduled meeting that will start at 6:30 p.m. The meeting will be live-streamed on the city’s YouTube channel. Click here for more information.
The Santa Maria City Council will be sworn in on Dec. 15 at the regularly scheduled meeting, and the meeting starts at 5:30 p.m. Click here for more information.
The Santa Barbara County Board of Supervisors will hold a swearing-in ceremony in early 2021.
Bob Nelson will be sworn into the 4th District Seat on the board on Jan. 12. People can watch remotely, either on online streaming video or on television.
The meeting will be live-streamed on the county YouTube and website as well as being broadcast on CSBTV Channel 20. Fourth District Supervisor Peter Adam did not seek a third term and Nelson ran unopposed.
School Districts
» Members of the Santa Barbara County Board of Education will be sworn in at 2 p.m. on Friday via the teleconferencing platform Zoom. Click here for more information.
» The Santa Barbara Unified School District board swearing-in ceremony will take place on Friday. Click here for more information.
» The Cold Spring School District governing board will take the oath of office at 6 p.m. on Dec. 14. The meeting will be virtual and Zoom login details will be available on the district’s website by 6 p.m. on Dec. 11. Click here for more information.
Several school boards in Santa Barbara County, including Allan Hancock College, Lompoc Unified, Goleta Union and Carpinteria Unified school districts, as well as the Santa Ynez Valley Union High and the College school districts, will hold swearing-in ceremonies on Dec. 15.
More school boards, special district boards and other governing bodies also will start swearing in their new members in the upcoming weeks.
— Noozhawk staff writer Brooke Holland can be reached at bholland@noozhawk.com. Follow Noozhawk on Twitter: @noozhawk, @NoozhawkNews and @NoozhawkBiz. Connect with Noozhawk on Facebook.
