Menlo Park Picks Betsy Nash as Mayor, Names Jennifer Wise Vice Mayor

The largely procedural role places Nash at the dais during a year defined by housing debates.

Overview

The City Council completed its annual reorganization on Dec. 9, selecting Nash as mayor and Wise as vice mayor for one-year terms.
Nash previously served as mayor in 2022 and stepped into the role after serving as vice mayor.
In Menlo Park, the mayor presides over meetings, helps set agendas with the city manager, and signs ordinances but has no veto or extra voting power.
Newly seated members include Wise from District 5 and Jeff Schmidt from District 3, with Nash noting District 5 has not produced a mayor since 2019 compared with District 3 in 2023.
Outgoing mayor Drew Combs highlighted a sister-city visit to Galway and contentious housing-element meetings, as the council now heads toward a November vote on requiring a citywide referendum for downtown parking-lot redevelopment.