Meet Councilmember Jennifer Smith

As we begin a new year, Mayor Paula Perotte remains a steady presence as did three other existing Councilmembers, but there is a new face to the Goleta City Council. Jennifer Smith was elected to represent the 3rd District. Councilmember Stuart Kasdin, previously at-large, was elected to represent District 4 and was selected by the Council to serve as Mayor Pro Tempore. They join already seated Councilmembers for Districts 1 and 2: Luz Reyes-Martín and James Kyriaco. This means that for the first time, all four districts in the City have council representatives. The City’s four districts were established in 2022 with elections for Districts 1 and 2 back in 2022 and Districts 3 and 4 this past November. 

Mayor Paula Perotte was re-elected by Goleta residents City-wide to serve another term. She is the City’s first directly-elected Mayor and has been elected three times now.

Here is the breakdown of the Councilmembers and area they serve. 

• District 1: Luz Reyes- Martín
• District 2: James Kyriaco
• District 3: Jennifer Smith
• District 4: Stuart Kasdin

Of course, in a tight-knit City like Goleta consisting of just 32,000 people in eight square miles, the Councilmembers aim to serve the entire City.

For more information and to see what district you live in, go to our interactive map and plug in your address.

While Councilmember Smith is new to the Council, she is no stranger to Goleta. She has lived in Goleta the past 12 years and served on the City’s Planning Commission for eight years. Like all of us, she agrees Goleta is a special place. She said, “There’s this unspoken thing that we all love about this area. You still have some of the perks that smaller cities offer, but it’s not quite as hectic and crazy as a big city.”

Jennifer Smith attended UCSB and was a student there when the City was incorporated. She went on to get her Juris Doctor from UC Davis School of Law. There, she was recognized as the Outstanding Woman Law Graduate by the National Association of Women Lawyers.

Jennifer is currently the Executive Director of the Legal Aid Foundation of Santa Barbara County. She has been active in numerous boards and committees, including the Santa Barbara Women’s Political Committee, Santa Barbara Women Lawyers and the California Women Lawyers.

As a Planning Commissioner she was committed to ensuring that land use proposals aligned with the community’s General Plan. Now as a Councilmember, her focus is on making sure everyone has an opportunity to be included. She said, “We come up with better solutions when we hear from different perspectives. Even if we don’t always agree on all things, I want to strive to hear from and learn from people in our community.”

Her favorite quote comes from Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., “Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere. We are caught in an inescapable network of mutuality, tied in a single garment of destiny. Whatever affects one directly, affects all indirectly.”

Welcome District 3 Councilmember Jennifer Smith! We wish you the best in this new role.

You can contact Councilmember Smith at jsmith@cityofgoleta.org or (805) 961-7537.

Goleta City Council (pictured left-to-right): Mayor Pro Tempore Stuart Kasdin (District 4), Councilmember Luz Reyes-Martín (District 1), Mayor Paula Perotte, Councilmember Jennifer Smith (District 3), and Councilmember James Kyriaco (District 2)


Mayor Perotte, Mayor Pro Tempore Kasdin and Councilmember Smith being sworn in at the December 17, 2024, Council meeting

After 11 years of serving on the Goleta City Council, Kyle Richards is now a Santa Barbara City College Board of Trustees member. At the last council meeting of 2024 on December 17, Richards was honored for the great impact he made on Goleta during his tenure.

Kyle first started on the City’s inaugural Parks and Recreation Commission in 2013 and then was elected to the Council in 2016. He was re-elected in 2020 and served as Mayor Pro Tempore in 2019, 2020 and 2023. Richards served his last term as an at-large Councilmember.

At his last Council meeting, Richards was presented with a City Tile and a surprise video highlighting his engaging career at the City. You can watch the video here.

Councilmember Richards gratefully listened as the Council and public shared what they appreciated most about his leadership. Among the many sentiments expressed, he was applauded for his intense love for Goleta, his sincere focus on public engagement, inclusion of marginalized communities, his care for the environment, his preparation for meetings and thoughtful decision making.

Following the outpouring of appreciation, Councilmember Richards addressed the audience and said, “As I finish my term, I hope that I am leaving things better than I found them, and that I had a role in doing something good for the community. And more than anything, it is my sincere hope that I have served as a steward of the public’s faith in government: that I acted in a way that inspired trust, promoted participation, encouraged selflessness, and that ultimately furthered democracy. I encourage everyone to look for ways to be community-minded: to take actions, no matter how small they may seem, that make our community stronger.”

At the end of his remarks, Richards received a standing ovation. You can see the remarks here at the end of Item D.1.

During his tenure, Richards, an avid bicyclist has been most passionate about maintaining and improving our quality of life, through access to our library, parks, open spaces, and other amenities that make Goleta so special. He loves finding opportunities for our diverse residents to come together, share of themselves, contribute to our community, and find common ground. He’s very committed to the City’s goal of 100% fossil-free energy and supports efforts to transition to renewable resources.

While he has accomplished so much during his years of service to Goleta, some of the highlights include:

1. Bringing the idea of the now Award-Winning LEAD Goleta Bilingual Community Academy to Goleta
2. Supported Creation of the Public Engagement Commission
3. Adoption of City’s 100% renewable Energy Goals
4. Adoption of a Strategic Energy Plan
5. Partnership with Central Coast Community Energy (3CE) and Serving on its Policy Board
6. Installation of 17 Electric Vehicle Chargers at City Hall
7. Creation of Future Battery Storage Project at City Hall
8. Adoption of City’s first Recreation Needs Assessment
9. Implementation of Homelessness Strategic Plan
10. Serving on Beach Erosion Authority for Clean Oceans and Nourishment Board
11. Implementation of Bike and Pedestrian Master Plan
12. Approval of Goleta Train Depot and Design Process
13. Completion of Jonny D. Wallis Neighborhood Park
14. Support of Creek and Watershed Management Plan
15. Support for Childcare Initiatives

Richards has also served on a number of boards and committees. He has lived in Goleta since 2008 and has worked at UCSB since 1997. Originally from Pennsylvania, he has a master’s in education from the University of Pennsylvania.

We wish Kyle the best of luck in his next chapter. Thank you Kyle, for all you have done for Goleta.

Councilmember Richards giving his farewell remarks at the December 17, 2024, City Council Meeting

Councilmember Richards with his City Tile, pictured left-to-right: Mayor Pro Tempore
Stuart Kasdin (District 4), Councilmember Luz Reyes-Martín (District 1), Mayor Paula Perotte, Councilmember Kyle Richards, City Manager Robert Nisbet, and Councilmember James Kyriaco (District 2)