Roger L. Horton, a former two-term Santa Barbara city councilman known for his fiscal prowess, efforts to fund child-care and after-school programs, and kind approach to people and policy, died last week. He was 83.

“Roger was dedicated not only to the preservation of this great town, but also to ensuring that those in need always had a helping hand,” his son Brian said in a Facebook post on Monday. “He will be greatly missed by his family and friends.”

Horton was elected to the City Council in 2001 and infused a sense of civic responsibility and fiscal pride into city management. A Democrat endorsed by the Santa Barbara County Democratic Party, Horton was a fiscal conservative but social liberal. He prided himself on chairing the city’s Finance Committee and leading budget workshops.

Before joining the council, he worked as a UCSB assistant chancellor for budget and administration.

On the City Council, he served with a powerhouse team at a time of at-large elections, under Mayor Marty Blum, and alongside City Council members Iya Falcone, Dr. Dan Secord, Babatunde Folayemi, Helene Schneider and others.

“Roger Horton was a kind soul,” said Schneider, a former mayor. “His North Star consistently pointed towards assisting our community’s kids to reach their best potential, ensuring the city’s finances were in solid shape and expanding commuter rail to the Central Coast.”

Horton said frequently that after-school programs keep kids out of trouble and that the city should fund programs that assist those efforts. He advocated for large employers to provide child-care services to assist working families.

Schneider recalled how Horton pushed for commuter rail and believed that creating enhanced train service, rather than widening Highway 101, was the best long-term solution to reduce congestion and move people more quickly.

He worked with other policy-makers and legislators to bring then-Amtrak National Board member and former Massachusetts Gov. Michael Dukakis to a standing-room-only public meeting about commuter rail back in 2005.

“It was a meeting that galvanized regional support that I hope one day can come to fruition,” Schneider said. “I loved his jovial laugh.”

Schneider said she had the fortune to visit him a few months ago and wished his family her “deep condolences.”

Although Horton was known as a budget hawk, he was also a creative in his approach. He supported the Service Employees International Union and police and fire union raises.

Long before the boom of the smartphone and easy internet transactions, Horton pushed the city to transition into electronic bill payments to save time and money.

“I want to use ingenuity and creativity and out-of-the-box thinking,” Horton told reporter Josh Molina at the time. “I can only hope folks will give us a little breathing room, and I think they will be pleasantly surprised.”

Former Santa Barbara councilman and current 37th District state Assemblyman Gregg Hart, D-Santa Barbara, said Horton was a visionary.

“Roger Horton was a rare gem of a person and an elected official,” Hart told Noozhawk. “He was an unflinching champion for children and families.”

Hart said Horton’s “visionary and tireless leadership in support of early childhood education changed lives.”

“Most importantly, he cared deeply about others and gave his full passion and energy to our community,” Hart said.

He and wife Eileen Horton also co-owned two restaurants, one on lower State Street and another in Isla Vista, named Omeletes Etc. They were a favorite breakfast spot for both locals and tourists, his son said.

Goleta City Councilman James Kyriaco worked closely with Horton.

“Roger dedicated his life to preserving and bettering the Santa Barbara he grew up in,” Kyriaco said. “He was a passionate advocate for both higher education, and early childhood education.”

Kyriaco said Horton worked hard to move our community toward transportation solutions like commuter rail and providing more workforce housing.

“Roger gave generously of his time to numerous and diverse nonprofit and charitable organizations, putting his financial expertise to work on their behalf,” Kyriaco said. “He was the ultimate workhorse.”

Horton’s son said the family looks forward to sharing special memories about their father at a memorial to be announced soon.