Seven newly elected county government officials took their oaths of office in the Board of Supervisors chambers Jan. 7.
Two new supervisors, Peter Hernandez in District 3 and Jim Gillio in District 4,assumed their new positions. District 5 Supervisor Jaime De La Cruz and District 1 Supervisor Mark Medina attended the ceremony to see their new colleagues sworn in.
Tom Slavich was sworn in as county assessor, Candice Hooper Mancino as district attorney, Melinda Casillas as treasurer, Krystal Kay Lomanto as superintendent of schools and Darren Thompson as sheriff/ coroner. All officials were sworn in by Judge Steven Sanders in a joint ceremony.
The brief swearing in left no time for congratulatory addresses, but allowed for mingling with friends, family and new colleagues.
Gillio and Hernandez will now join the ranks of sitting supervisors De La Cruz, Medina and Anthony Botelho, with promises of big changes for the county.
In a close race in November, Hernandez beat former supervisor Patricia Loe for the seat vacated by new Assemblyman Robert Rivas. Gillio won the District 4 seat handily over incumbent Jerry Muenzer.
Gillio left his Hollister City Council seat last month, giving a brief farewell address to the public. He urged community members to look around and see all of the good that was happening in the city, while making a call for bipartisanship.
Both Gillio and Hernandez ran campaigns on platforms of change, beating out the establishment favorites. Three new city council members were sworn in at the Dec. 17 meeting in Hollister.
