Nelson Esparza: “Our city came out in a certainly stronger place in many, many respects.”

Editor’s note: This is based on a transcript of Councilmember Nelson Esparza’s comments from his Jan. 5, 2023 swearing-in ceremony.

I did not prepare a speech. I was supposed to write it this morning very, very early, and something came up a little more pressing. So I’m going to do it Nelson Esparza style. I promise not to be long. You guys all know I’m not too notorious for speaking too long, maybe notorious for other things, but not for speaking too long.

First, I want to thank my family for coming out and supporting me always during the first oath I took six years ago. The second oath I took four years ago. And then today I have the whole row of family. My grandparents, Sandra, Tanya, my mother, my siblings, my mother in law, my aunt who helped raise me from the very day of my birth. I appreciate all of you and love you all.

We’ve certainly done a lot here at City Hall over the last several years, the last four years. I think the chamber was just a little bit more packed four years ago from today because it really signaled the change, signaled something very new, a change in the power dynamics of the city, how things would operate, what kind of policies we would pass.

And I think the council that we have, the makeup certainly has done a lot of that. And I could go through a lot of specific examples like my colleagues did, but you heard it from them.

And when we saw four years ago, you could not have imagined or pictured or made up the kinds of things that would occur or come up and the kind of decisions we’d have to make, decisions that members of Congress should be making. But we got through it together, relatively united. And I think our city came out in a certainly stronger place in many, many respects.

And we certainly did not do it alone. As you always heard me say, nothing that happens in this building is done by any one individual. All of it’s a team effort by us, of course, here in the actual positions.

But all of you folks who are here or not here and watching from home, were really the impetus and the support we need to be able to get things done successfully in this building. Moving legislation is certainly something I’ve come to love and requires many, many great partners.

And so in addition to thanking my long row of family here, I really want to thank all of you, all the roles you’ve played over the years, picking up our early morning or late night phone calls, the help we support to get something over the finish line for this community, for the city of Fresno.

And I certainly want to thank the residents of District 7 for sending myself back here again with a stronger mandate than the last time, and the residents of all the other districts for sending the strong message of mandates through my colleagues as well.

It’s going to allow us to govern confidently and with the faith that we have the backing of the community, of the majority of the residents here in the city of Fresno, and allow us to do our job in an effective way to continue moving, moving our city forward.

So this is just very much a cheer to another great eventful, another exciting and challenging term here at City Hall. Couldn’t have done without all of you. Thank you all for being here and it’s great to see you all.