Recognizing Ray Mueller Upon His Departure From the Menlo Park City Council

Floor Speech

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Ms. SPEIER. Madam Speaker, I rise to recognize my friend and colleague Ray Mueller who served on the Menlo Park City Council for ten years, two terms as mayor, as he is entering a new chapter in his public service career. Ray was just elected as the San Mateo County Supervisor for the 3rd District where he will undoubtedly continue his outstanding and dedicated service to the community.

Ray was first elected to the council in 2012. During his tenure he was always focused on improving the quality of life and safety of residents, the economy and the environment. As the father of two teenagers, Max, 16 and Elle, 12, he is particularly driven to work towards policies that will ensure the future of his and all children. He is married to his high school sweetheart Kristen Shima. I have known Ray for a decade and have always been impressed and inspired by his can-do attitude, resourcefulness, and optimism.

Ray is a graduate of the University of California, Berkeley, and he received his JD from the University of California, Hastings College of the Law. He now works as an attorney in the emergency response and services sector. His legal acumen and analytical mind have certainly served the city of Menlo Park very well. Along with his council colleagues, he has been able to balance the city budget for eight consecutive years and to maintain the city's AAA bond rating since he was elected. He and the council have also saved taxpayers millions of dollars through smart policies.

Menlo Park, like the rest of the Bay Area, is plagued by a lack of affordable housing and traffic congestion. Ray has strongly advocated solutions for these interconnected issues. During his time on the council, Menlo Park adopted two housing elements. He was appointed and served on the State of California Tax Credit Allocation Committee which administers the federal and state low-income housing tax credit programs. Menlo Park set aside housing units with rental subsidies for teachers and other community-serving professionals in housing development approvals. Ray worked with Facebook to add housing units on its proposed campus expansion. During the pandemic, Menlo Park made $100,000 available in grants for emergency rental housing assistance. Ray served on the board of LifeMoves, one of the largest homeless services providers in Silicon Valley.

He and his fellow council members also developed and approved a citywide Transportation Master Plan which focuses on traffic mitigation, safe routes to schools and across freeways, street resurfacing and sidewalks, and improved rail service.

Ray is particularly passionate about our youth. When he was mayor in 2019, he created a youth advisory commission. He launched an after school homework center at the Belle Haven Library bringing in skilled volunteers to provide one-on-one support. He also hosted several civics days at city hall and taught leadership classes at the Boys and Girls Club. During the pandemic, he reactivated childcare centers and transformed after-school programs into learning pods for distance learning.

Ray fully understands that without climate change mitigation our planet and the future of our youth hangs in the balance. In 2020, Menlo Park adopted its first Climate Action Plan. Four years prior, he voted to enroll all city facilities in ECO 100, a program that provides 100 percent renewable energy for city buildings, streetlights and charging stations. As mayor in 2014, Ray prioritized the formation of Menlo Park Spark to promote regional climate action policy. He is also a staunch defender of our open spaces and parks. Despite his extensive work hours as an attorney and council member, he manages to find time to volunteer for the San Mateo chapter of the Surfrider Foundation. An avid surfer himself, Ray has a deep love and respect for the awesome power of nature. He is currently taking a hiatus from the sport to allow a serious neck injury to heal.

Madam Speaker, I ask the Members of the House of Representatives to rise with me to thank Ray Mueller for his exemplary service on the Menlo Park City Council and to wish him continued success and stamina for his upcoming service on the San Mateo County Board of Supervisors. His contributions will keep shaping our beautiful county and coast.

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