Amy Ahanotu takes mayor’s chair, outlines plans for Rohnert Park

Amy Ahanotu became mayor of Rohnert Park on Tuesday at a City Council ceremony that capped off a year in which Sonoma County’s third-largest city climbed back to financial health, attracted new businesses and approved the first new housing project in 25 years.

Upon assuming the mayor’s chair, Ahanotu outlined an agenda for 2015 that includes increasing the city’s reserves, upgrading infrastructure and creating a downtown in a city that has always lacked a central core. The council will face perhaps its most divisive issue, a proposal to expand Wal-Mart, at its first meeting of the new year Jan. 13. The council also will be tasked with managing annual payments from the Graton Resort and Casino, expected to total $8 million, to offset the impacts of the gambling center just west of the city limits.

A Nigerian immigrant, Ahanotu described his childhood growing up in a village without electricity. He moved to Rohnert Park nearly two decades ago and became a branch manager of Redwood Credit Union.

“Only in America are you going to see a village boy come here and become the mayor of a big city,” said Ahanotu, dressed in a traditional Nigerian bubu garment and cap, while friends and family snapped photos. “Isn’t that success? Isn’t that progress?”

Ahanotu was first elected to the City Council in 2010 and won re-election this November along with Pam Stafford. Two weeks ago, he was selected to serve as mayor for the upcoming year by his fellow council members. The post is largely ceremonial, but the mayor gets to set the agenda, run meetings and is more visible to the public. Gina Belforte was selected vice mayor.

Outgoing Mayor Joe Callinan, the son of Rohnert Park’s first city manager, Pete Callinan, said the city balanced its budget this year for the first time since he was elected to the council in 2008.

“I think my dad is proud of how we are running things around here,” he said. “I’m really honored to say that we balanced our budget. When I first started, we were $8 million in the hole. I said ‘how in the hell can we be $8 million in the hole when our budget is $24 million?’?”

The council this year approved the 1,600-unit University District housing project north of Sonoma State University. Developers are expected to begin construction next year. Also next year, the council is expected to work with developer SunCal, which bought the 30-acre former State Farm campus, to design a mixed commercial-residential project that could anchor the city’s downtown.

“With our downtown, we have an opportunity to create something there,” Belforte said. “We’re on the cusp of changing a bit of who we are.”

Ahanotu, a former chairman of the Rohnert Park Chamber of Commerce, adds a strong business background to the council. He pledged to continue the city’s economic development efforts.

“The financial decisions we make today have lasting impact on our citizens years from now,” he said. “We need to be open to more economic development, to promote job creation and attract visitors.”

You can reach Staff Writer ?Matt Brown at 521-5206 or matt.brown@pressdemocrat.com. On Twitter @MattBrownPD.