SANTA MARIA - On the morning after her historic win, Santa Maria Mayor-elect Alice Patino was busy taking down campaign signs across town.
"I think that's really important", Patino says about being elected the first female mayor in Santa Maria history, "you know we've never had a woman as mayor before, I was the second woman to serve on the City Council, I think women are real excited about it."
Patino says after walking voter precincts, knocking on doors and serving three terms on the City Council, she feels she knows what most Santa Marians want.
"They want their neighborhoods safe", Patino says, "they want to be able to get out and walk in their neighborhoods, they are concerned about crime."
After an unprecedented year of deadly officer-involved shootings for the Santa Maria Police Department, Patino says she wants to see new leadership emerge internally in the department to help change its public image.
Speaking in front of what will eventually be the new home of the Santa Maria Police Department at the northeast corner of Betteravia and Blosser Roads, Patino says she knows what she'd like to see in the city's selection of a new police chief to replace Dan Macagni who resigned earlier this year after being placed on administrative leave.
"Somebody who gets in and mingles with the citizens, someone with a feeling for Santa Maria", Patino says, "someone who respects diversity, we certainly have a diverse community, that's the reality of it."
Patino says she wants to see changes in city ordinances to make Santa Maria more business-friendly and expanded youth outreach programs to help steer young people in the right direction.
