After 14 years on the Santa Clarita City Council and serving five times as mayor, Cameron Smyth put down the gavel for the final time on Tuesday.
In his departing speech, Smyth, a Hart High graduate and son of former Councilman Hamilton “Clyde” Smyth, shed a tear or two, along with a few laughs, as he bid adieu.
“I don’t know how many people get the privilege to be the mayor of their hometown,” Smyth said, “but I’m one of them, and it’s been the honor of my life. Thank you.”
According to City Manager Ken Striplin, Smyth has had a hand in more than $700 million being used for capital projects during his time as a council member.
Due to the city of Santa Clarita moving to district-based elections following a California Voting Rights Act lawsuit, two districts were on the ballot in November, with one being a composed of a majority Latino population and considered the “remedial district.”
That race was won by Patsy Ayala, who had been serving on the city’s Planning Commission until she was sworn in as a council member on Tuesday to serve as the District 1 representative and the first-ever Latina on the council. Her district is largely Newhall with a gerrymandered portion of western Canyon Country.
“I’m very happy to take this obligation,” Ayala said, “and I am here because I heard your voices, I heard your dreams, and I heard your concerns, and you can be sure I’m going to continue advocating and listening to those voices that led me here today.”
The other district had no challengers to incumbent Jason Gibbs, who was appointed to represent District 3, which is mostly Saugus with some of Valencia. Gibbs had previously won election in 2020, before the city was divided into districts, and served as mayor in 2023.
The council made the decision to have Gibbs’ district be up for election this year, meaning Smyth was ineligible to run.
Councilman Bill Miranda will serve as the mayor for the next year, while Councilwoman Laurene Weste will serve as the mayor pro tem.
“I look at 2025 as a very, very exciting year for us here in Santa Clarita,” Miranda said. “But I look at it as an opportunity for all of us, all of our citizens — left, right, in-between; male, female, in-between; Catholic, Protestant, Muslim, Jew, in-betweeners — to all work together. Let’s make a point of all working together this year.”
There was a slight hiccup during that process, as Councilwoman Marsha McLean said she felt it was only proper to return to the normal rotation of mayor and pro tem after she gave up her spot in the rotation so that Smyth could be mayor at the end of his tenure.
“I wanted Cameron to be able to be mayor, pro tem and mayor,” McLean said, “and I gave that up, and I fully expected that I would have been nominated and voted in as mayor pro tem last time, and I kept quiet about it, and I, you know, I try to be gracious about it, but at this point in time, I think if we don’t go back to honoring people’s service and allow them to serve in their term, I really am sorry about that and I regret that a whole lot.”
In attendance at City Hall on Tuesday was a who’s who when it comes to Santa Clarita’s shakers and movers.
Present to honor Smyth were: former Sen. Scott Wilk, R-Santa Clarita, who took Smyth’s seat in the Assembly in 2012; Edel Alonso, president of the College of the Canyons governing board; Gary Martin, president of the Santa Clarita Valley Water Agency board of directors; Linda Storli, president of the William S. Hart Union High School District board of trustees; and representatives for local elected officials — Rep. Mike Garcia, R-Santa Clarita; Sen. Suzette Martinez Valladares, R-Santa Clarita; Assemblywoman Pilar Schiavo, D-Chatsworth; and L.A. County 5th District Supervisor Kathryn Barger.
That’s just a few on a long list of people who thanked Smyth for being involved in one project or another during his 20 years representing Santa Clarita in public office. Each of the council members also shared some words.
Ayala beat out Bryce Jepsen and Tim Burkhart, a fellow planning commissioner, for her seat. She garnered 4,563 votes, a little over 400 more than Jepsen, who came in second.
According to L.A. County data, 12,813 votes were cast in that race out of 23,054 registered voters, on par with the 66.12% voter turnout that was reported countywide.
The 2013 Woman of the Year for the state Senate’s 21st District, Ayala had previously served on the staffs for Wilk and Valladares, when Valladares was a member of the state Assembly. Ayala moved to Santa Clarita from Mexico in 2000.
Smyth leaves having served in public office for many of the last 24 years. Between his stints on the City Council, he was a member of the Assembly from 2006 to 2012. He was first elected as a council member in 2000 and then again in 2016 after leaving the Assembly due to term limits.
“And with that, I’m out,” Smyth said before walking off the dais and taking a seat among those who had thanked him.
