Silva Sworn In As Stockton's Mayor; Vows More Police, Balanced Budget
STOCKTON (CBS13) - With his son holding the Bible and Willie Brown on the microphone, Anthony Silva became the new face of struggling Stockton on Tuesday night.
"The number one priority in Stockton still remains crime," Silva said after he was sworn in as mayor.
But Silva's swearing-in ceremony was not all talking points. There was some tension too.
A member of the Black Panthers group from Oakland had a loud exchange with deputies and was asked to leave the overcapacity chambers temporarily.
The group was there with the family of a man killed in an officer-involved shooting case.
Silva is now leading a city that broke a record for murders and filed for bankruptcy in the same year. He is pledging not to take any salary until a balanced budget is approved.
"Probably at minimum at least six months, maybe longer," he said. "It's going to take that long to hire enough police and really get a handle on the budget."
A new year and now new leadership - Stockton's City Council has a new cast of characters facing the same daunting challenges.
"I promise a balanced budget and more police," Silva said.