By Hector Gonzalez
Special to The Lookout

February 1, 2016 -- Santa Monica Mayor Tony Vazquez will be the featured speaker at the League of Women Voters luncheon this weekend, the organization announced.

Tickets and reservations can be made now for the event Saturday, February 4, at the Doubletree Hotel, 1707 4th Street, from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.

“Our league is honored to host this opportunity for members of our community to sit down and get to know our new mayor,” said Ann K. Williams, president of the League of Women Voters Santa Monica.

Vazquez, who in 1990 became the first Latino ever elected to the Santa Monica City Council, lost his 1994 re-election bid after campaign mailers by the police union depicted him as a friend of criminals, even though Vazquez in 1992 voted to add 20 more officers to the Police Department (Former Santa Monica Council Member Tony Vazquez Hopes to Regain Seat, July 13, 2012).

Vazquez, 60, reclaimed a seat on the Council in 2012. In November, he was elected by his Council colleagues to the mayor's post, becoming the Santa Monica's first Latino mayor since the City's incorporation in 1886.

Although the post is largely ceremonial, as mayor, Vazquez is virutally the face of Santa Monica.

While a council member, Vazquez attended the recent 2015 U.N. Conference on Climate Change and will share highlights of the conference at the league's luncheon. He'll also share his ideas for Santa Monica and his goals for his tenure as mayor, said Williams.

“Like the Leauge of Women Voters Santa Monica's Holiday Friendraiser in December, at which state Sen. Ben Allen chatted with the league's guests about the latest political issues in Sacramento, this is one of many opportunities the league offers for detailed, nuanced political conversation,” she said.

While the Santa Monica chapter is part of the league's national, state and county organizations, the the local league plays “a unique role in providing our city's citizens with dialogue about our own political neighborhood, just as it will continue to do in the upcoming election season,” said Williams.

Mayor Vazquez's talk is part of that local mission, she added.

“This kind of in-depth, thoughtful conversation with our local political leaders is a key realization of our mission.”

The league's lunch includes a salad and a wrap with vegetarian options. The cost is $35 per person.

For tickets and reservations, visit lwvsantamonica.org.calendar.html and scroll down to Luncheon With The Mayor listing and click the Paypal button, or email Pres@lwvsantamonica.org.