On December 20th, Lemon Grove swore in a new mayor, Racquel Vasquez. After, 20 years of service Mary Sessom, has stepped down and has been replaced with the first black mayor to serve the San Diego County. She has been sworn in at a time where she can make a deep impact on Lemon Groves economy. Mayor Vasquez has stated, “her vision for the city is to make it financially secure, safe, people and business friendly city, offering good paying jobs, arts, culture and recreational opportunities for all to enjoy.”
Most residents of Lemon Grove are not new to who Mayor Vasquez is. Her career in community government started almost 20 years ago in Newport News, Virginia. She has served 16 years for the city of San Diego in public relations, and five years as standing commission for Lemon Grove. In 2011, multiple members of the community encouraged her to run for city council. Mayor Vasquez went out and bought a book on “How to Run For City Office. And Win.” In 2012, after locking down the endorsement of planning commissioners she was elected to Lemon Grove City Council.
With the city of Lemon Grove recently passing for medical marijuana, Mayor Vasquez is put in a position to see real change for the city. She knows that to bring about her vision to life, she will need the whole community behind her, from local governing bodies, business owners, residents, city staff and any other organizations. According to Mayor Vasquez, she has her sleeves rolled up and is ready to get to work to make Lemon Grove a leader for other small cities to follow. It has the chance to be the benchmark for great government, great community living, and great business, with her as the leader.
