Mary Ann Carbone named mayor of Sand City, Councilman Todd Kruper to retire.

In Mary Ann Carbone, Sand City has its first-ever female mayor, and its first-ever mayor with indigenous heritage.

In a packed council chambers, City Council voted unanimously May 2 to name Carbone—who’s served on the council for 25-plus years and has long been the vice mayor—as Sand City’s new mayor.

She is the first female mayor on the Monterey Peninsula since former Carmel mayor Sue McCloud retired in 2012, and along with Gonzales Mayor Maria Orozco, is one of only two female mayors in the county.

After being sworn in, Carbone gave what she called her “first official speech,” and said she had big shoes to fill in replacing former mayor David Pendergrass, who served as mayor 39 years before retiring at the end of April. According to the city, he was the longest-serving mayor in California when he retired.

Carbone, who’s lived in Sand City for 30-plus years, praised Pendergrass for leaving the city in a good financial state, and said, “There’s no doubt in my mind we live in the best city in America.”

She also praised the city for being “beautiful,” “progressive” and “safe.”

In a statement she emailed following the meeting, Carbone writes, “When you’re captain of the ship and it’s on course—it’s not wise to change directions; although one must ensure that it’s a safe ride and wise journey for those aboard.”

Following Carbone’s speech, the council unanimously appointed councilmember Jerry Blackwelder the new vice mayor.

Then, the council discussed how to proceed with the appointment process to fill the now-vacant council seat. They decided to put the word out to residents in a grassroots fashion that anyone interested in the position should put in a written application letter to the city by end of day Monday, May 15.

The council’s next meeting is May 16; at that time, they will decide when to schedule a public workshop to interview prospective candidates.

And yet more change is coming: After all that, Councilmember Todd Kruper announced he will be retiring from council at the end of the month and will move to Eureka due to the high cost of living locally. Kruper is an artist.

Kruper says the fact that he has to move is “a disappointment” and “terrible.”

That will open up another council seat come June, but this month, council will only be considering who to appoint to the currently vacant seat. Kruper says he will be in attendance at the still-unscheduled special meeting later in May to help select who will fill Carbone's old council seat.