Chelsea Lee Byers is now officially the Mayor of West Hollywood. She took the oath of office, administered remotely by her godfather Robert “Bob” Lewis, Tuesday night at the City Council Chambers.
In an impassioned and sometimes emotional speech, Byers thanked those who have illustrated to her by example the virtues of compassion and perseverance during her life’s journey. Byers also emphasized the importance of recognizing how interconnected and interdependent we all are, and the power of the collective community we all rely on (and must help support) as individuals. A full transcript of her speech can be read below.
Thank you all so much for being here tonight, thank you to our outgoing Mayor, to everyone. We meet this moment of transition as a city in a larger moment as a region and as a country—a deep reminder of the inextricable links between us all. The Los Angeles region has endured a truly historic disaster and my heart goes out to the many whose lives have been upended by the raging fires across the county. The loss of their homes, schools, cultural anchors, legacy businesses, places of worship, green spaces and other places important to their communities is truly overwhelming. For many this loss goes beyond the physical: the manifestation of dreams, safety, and security in communities that we hold truly dear. West Hollywood is a city that knows connection to a space goes beyond the physical. It’s what it means to us and represents that we celebrate and fight to protect as much as the thing itself. In the many alerts and ongoing panic and alarm that this community experienced, the sense of safety and security we had once known has been newly challenged. And now as a third week of extreme winds continue tonight and a narrowminded administration moves into that White House, we are reminded of the many unknowns still to come. But what I do know is this: it is how we respond in the days, weeks and months to come that will be what truly defines us. I have been immensely heartened by the fierce response from our community—the instinct to care and support others, the operations so quickly established to scale this care and the recognition that we can learn and grow from this devastating collective experience that continues to unfold. I marvel at the work of our city staff and the bravery of the first responders who have been at the forefront of navigating the response. I know our staff has pulled late-night shifts and long hours for our city, many navigating their own issues and fears on the home front and even making arrangements to postpone this ceremony was added work. I’m so grateful to each and every member of our city staff for how they’ve shown up through this time. And Mayor Erickson, you spent your final days as mayor sharing emergency alerts and communication updates with the community and being responsive and available in the face of crisis. We know so many can attest to the way you’ve shown up for them and we all watched you show up for the city over the past year in ways that newly tested and defined your commitment to caring for what you love. We have been incredibly fortunate to be in your care. As I ready to pick up this baton and carry forward the leadership role of our city, I thank each and every one of my colleagues for the support you’ve shown me and the unique leadership you bring to our city. Working together to strengthen the whole of our community and make the city more resilient and more prepared for the future ahead is our call and I know each of us are ready to rise to this occasion. I see in this room longtime community members, new friends, dignitaries, and leaders from across the region. For any of you to take the time, especially in this time to be here, demonstrates your care and investment in the success of this city and it is so appreciated and welcomed. We know as individuals we cannot be successful doing anything alone and this is even more true for a city. Last week, my family made great effort to come from Arizona to West Hollywood (some for the first time) to support my transition to this leadership role. While they were not able to come back to be here tonight, it is so important for me to take a moment to recognize the people who made me who I am. I come from a family of problem-solvers. People who will learn how to fix something to make it better. Immensely creative and hard-working people, who have supported me and celebrated me every step of the way. My ability to respond optimistically to challenges comes from the can-do, overcome-it-all attitude I grew up around. Growing roots in the heat of the Arizona desert is not possible for all forms of life, but the resilience found in my family gives me strength every day. Tonight I was sworn in remotely by my godfather, Robert “Bob” Lewis, who, with his wife Karen, have been known to me and my family for my whole life. My parents’ relationship with them and their years of caring for me like their own was my first lesson in chosen family, an idea that we celebrate fiercely here in the city of West Hollywood. Bob’s pool business in Tucson was my first unofficial internship and exploring Tucson each summer at Camp Karen defined my youth. The love and care their family has shown to mine has shaped me and deeply influenced the way I care for others. And to my dad, my brother and my beautiful mom: I love you so much and recognize the sacrifice you made to support me in all the many ways. Words will just never be enough to describe my gratitude. And to Austin: building home with you as we have done over 13 years is the greatest joy I know. Thank you for being my fiercest ally and supporting me and sharing with me your energy, your love and your brilliance. Your dad, Richard, and Julie too have become family. And seeing us all grow together is truly just a joy I couldn’t have imagined. Being together tonight, we signify not only a transition of leadership, but a new chapter of decision-making for us all. How will we live our lives knowing what we have seen and now know? How will we respond and move forward? How will we care for ourselves and each other? These decisions are ours to make each and every day. And while the federal administration will draw our attention elsewhere, the decision to remain focused on our priorities here in West Hollywood is ours to make. The strength in the city is truly on full display, and it is this bravery and solidarity and resilience we will need as we face the backlash of an administration that seeks to overwhelm our focus with threats and actions to divide our community, erase our experiences and undermine our rights. The call to stay engaged on our most pressing goals is clearer than ever. As I said last year on becoming vice mayor, West Hollywood is well positioned to be a model and leader in how cities across the country respond to climate change, social service delivery, affordable housing, mobility, and so much more. Against the federal administration doing…whatever that is, it is in cities like ours where our power lies to make real progress. All of the things we care about at a national level have local implications. Staying focused and reaching our goals here in West Hollywood is a clear way we can challenge this administration. Resilient communities are inclusive communities. We saw and felt the way that existed in our communities as we heard the knock of our neighbors at our door, as we received the texts and calls from folks across town or across the country, as we rallied together in hours and days that followed to organize donations and coordinate volunteer time and mobilize our available community assets to make West Hollywood a city that could care for as many as possible in this time, and as we checked in with each other just yesterday while the spectacle of that new administration unfolded. When we know our neighbors and embrace each other beyond our differences, our mutual entanglement becomes a benefit, and even a lifeline. And we are entangled in this city, in this region, in this country—all of our borderlines drawn so close, all of our lives just stacked up on top of each other. We are so close and so connected. And there’s nothing more important in the time ahead than getting to know each other and how we can better care for each other. I’m grateful to feel this closeness and connection tonight, and ready for what’s next as we move forward together.
Why no video? Everybody else has one, don’t they?
She’s kind of cute overall – i find it hard to be mad at her zany politics.
As an aside, it’s a bit late for her to consider changing her lifestyle (damage done and all that) but the birth control induced Norwood 2 receding hairline is a little unfortunate but sadly all too common among enlightened and progressive young women of today.
“…all too common among… progressive women…” really?
How widespread a problem is it?
How much more damage can this new one do? Pretty soon you might as well just raze SM blvd and build more “Affordable housing” (rolls eyes and laughs).
Oh and more homeless / crazies just dropping their pants and taking a dump on the sidewalks in brand daylight (yes its happening).
…and less than ten days elected into her position she helped single-handedly to overturn West Hollywood’s precious rent protections set forward by RSO – giving Attorney Langer “full support” in scrapping short-term rental laws! It’s no coincidence that Erickson and Hang (lobbied by the Hotel Union) quickly voted in support of an “emergency amendment” to help West Hollywood fire-victims…? Yet, Heilmann not Meister could explain how WeHo became responsible changing long established rent protections set forward, for people that live and vote in other communities. We know, with the upcoming World Soccer Games 2026 and followed by the Olympics 2028,… Read more »
The position of mayor in this city is just ceremonial. The real disaster is that we have three like-minded individuals on this council that think locke step with each other and are beholden to the union (Unite Here). The union is really the one controlling this city. For the last four years we have suffered as a city through skyrocketing crime, skyrocketing prices of all goods and services, the most empty storefront we’ve ever seen in our city, increase in homelessness,-just to name a few. Their extremist progressive policies have failed us. They have failed us on a local level… Read more »
It’s an absolute disgrace that she is on CC. Hoping your feelings about the future come to pass!
100% AGREE! You don’t have to look that far and see the big corporations dumping their DEI departments.
Her naivety will continue to hurt our city. I almost feel sorry for this grifter.