Mayor Matt Mahan Appoints Councilmember Pam Foley as Vice Mayor of San José
Council’s most tenured member will assume the role after council approval on January 28
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
January 8, 2025
Media Contact:
Tasha Dean, Chief Communications Officer, Office of Mayor Matt Mahan; [email protected]
SAN JOSÉ, CA - San José Mayor Matt Mahan announced his appointment of District 9 Councilmember Pam Foley to the role of Vice Mayor starting January 28, pending a vote of the council. First elected in 2018, Foley brings years of experience that will be instrumental as the Mayor and Council prepare the budget for Fiscal Year 2025-2026 while facing deficits. The Mayor appoints the Vice Mayor and selects Councilmembers to chair and serve on various boards, commissions, and committees, with these appointments confirmed by the Council by January 28. As has typically been tradition at City Hall, Mayor Mahan is rotating the role of Vice Mayor after two years.
“Challenging economic forecasts will undoubtedly require us to do more with less, making Councilmember Foley’s years of experience with the budget process invaluable,” said San José Mayor Matt Mahan. “I am grateful for her partnership as we fight to end homelessness, improve public safety, and ensure San José remains a city where people want to live and invest.”
“I am deeply honored to step into the role of Vice Mayor and continue serving our great city in this new capacity. With six years of experience and as the most senior Councilmember, I am committed to leveraging my knowledge and understanding of our community’s diverse needs to deliver meaningful results for every resident of San José,” said Councilmember Pam Foley (D9). “Our city’s future is bright, but there is still important work to be done. As Vice Mayor, along with Mayor Mahan, my Council colleagues, and the residents of San José, I will continue to work to advance a shared vision that strengthens our neighborhoods and improves the quality of life for all. Let’s keep moving forward—together.”
In her years of service to the City of San Jose, Councilmember Foley has prioritized public safety as Chair of the Vision Zero Taskforce, worked to ban flavored tobacco and championed the establishment of the Cherry Ave Interim Housing Community in her district. For the last four years, Foley has also chaired the Community and Economic Development Committee, a body focused on managing the growth and change of San Jose in order to encourage a strong economy — experience that will be invaluable as the city faces a difficult fiscal period.
Mayor Mahan thanks Councilmember Rosemary Kamei for her two years of dedicated service as Vice Mayor, in which she championed diversity in the city’s police department with the 30 by 30 initiative, launched a program in her district to keep storm drains clear and helped bring greater focus to City Hall. She will continue to be a strong voice on the Council advocating for change and representing the needs of her constituents in District 1.
“Rosemary Kamei has brought change to City Hall,” said Mayor Matt Mahan. “The City is better thanks to her leadership and I look forward to continuing our shared fight for fiscal accountability and safe and clean neighborhoods in the years ahead.”
A full list of new appointments and committee assignments for the San Jose City Council will be coming to Council on January 14th. The appointment for Vice Mayor will be voted on by the full council on January 28.
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About the City of San José
With nearly one million residents, San José is the largest city in the Bay Area and one of the nation's most diverse and creative. San José’s transformation into a global innovation center in the heart of Silicon Valley has resulted in the world's greatest concentration of technology talent and development.