Rios gets overdue honor for time as mayor

Then-Mayor Margarita Rios at a veterans scholarship dinner in 2019. (City of Norwalk photo)

NORWALK – Norwalk City Council honored Councilwoman Margarita Rios on Tuesday, giving official recognition to her term as mayor two years ago.

Rios led the council from April 2019 to April 2020 after being elected in 2017 and serving as vice mayor behind current Mayor Jennifer Perez. It was her first term in the position.

Traditionally, Norwalk council and staff recognize an outgoing mayor during the annual mayoral transition ceremony. However, Rios’s moment in the spotlight was forcibly put on hold due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

At this week’s council meeting, the city finally got its opportunity to reflect on and thank Rios for her leadership.

“I did not want another day to go by without presenting Margarita Rios with her acknowledgements and her accommodations from the city council and from the city for her time spent in the year 2019/2020,” said Perez.

During her tenure as the head of the city, Norwalk focused on enhanced public safety and growth.

According to a presentation given by the city, Norwalk saw crime drop by 16%, a reduction of homeless individuals from 200 to 168, the opening of several restaurants and one grocery store, and 224 registered business licenses during Rios’s mayorship. The Norwalk Connects app was also launched.

Rios is also credited with spearheading the city’s partnership with Ring, which offered more than 100 discounted home security devices to residents, as well as the adoption of the Coyote Coexistence and Management Plan. She also initiated a homeownership assistance program.

Norwalk also saw the aggressive “Everyone Counts” campaign kickoff under Rios, being the only city in Los Angeles County to use vehicle wraps to promote the 2020 census.

Rios would also reintroduce the Los Posadas event to Norwalk, and the city would see several enhancements to its parks including state-of-the-art equipment in the Norwalk Arts and Sports Complex weight room, and the planting of over 1,940 trees.

The city credited Rios as being “instrumental” in the securing of a $300,000 grant from the office of Supervisor Janice Hahn for a new playground at Holifield Park, as well as a $40,000 grant from the National Recreation and Park Association’s “10 Minute Walk to a Park” for development of a masterplan for Hermosillo and Norwalk Parks.

Rios also proposed the reinstatement of the long inactive Youth Commission.

Rios thanked staff for their presentation.

“What I appreciate about it is that it really captured the essence of my year as mayor, but also I think it captured the trajectory of work that we started, that we’re continuing, and that we’re moving on with,” said Rios. “Thank you for everyone who has supported me then, now, and honestly, I’m just grateful to be here. I’m grateful, I feel blessed to have this opportunity to serve my community.”