Dear Friends,  

I have decided to run for Mayor of Mount Rainier. I hope I can count on your support.  

Last week, Mayor Miles informed the public that she will not be running for another term as Mayor of Mount Rainier for the upcoming May 2021 city election.  

Mayor Miles is a wonderful and dedicated public servant who has worked hard to make the City of Mount Rainier a destination.  Her advocacy for Mount Rainier's residents reaches far beyond the City, I have spoken to Mayor Miles and expressed my interest in running for mayor, but only if she decided not to run for re-election. With Mayor Miles' retirement, I announced that I will be running for Mayor of the Great City of Mount Rainier.            

My roots and desire to represent my city runs deep. While I was born in El Salvador, and moved with my family to the United States as a young child, my family has been living in Mount Rainier for over 20 years. As early as I can remember, my family always instilled the importance of education and giving back to our community. I graduated from high school in Los Angeles, California and received a Bachelor's in Political Science from California State University, Long Beach. I have been a strong and consistent advocate for civil rights and for the empowerment of minority communities. In 2014, I moved to Mount Rainier to join my family. The minute I stepped into this city I felt right at home because the residents of this city shared my values. Mount Rainier is the city my husband and I call home, the city where our daughter was born and is growing up. We value living in a City that is inclusive, a place in which residents' voices matter, and one that is striving to be more in touch with the environment. Where people help each other, support each other and look out for the best interest of the community as a whole.

Since 2017, I have proudly represented Ward 1. It has been an honor to serve you in that capacity. My achievements within that space have added value to all the residents. However, there is so much more to be done and so much more I can offer the city in the capacity as mayor. I look to strengthen our community to make it a place where we can all live, work, pray and play. 

In my four years on the city council, I have consistently met and communicated with my community.  Based on the concerns I heard during those meetings and other conversations with city residents, I worked towards: 

• Education
  • advocating for better schools by supporting the successful passage in Annapolis of the Blueprint for Maryland also known as Kirwan Commission;
  • supporting green initiatives at our local schools to save the environment while providing cost savings;
  • founded the Mount Rainier $1,000 scholarship to help at least seven (7) students a year attend higher education, for a total line item value of $7,000 (successful program now in its third (3) year);
• Improving City Operations
  • improving city infrastructure by rebuilding the Public Works Department;
  • reallocated budget funds to increase funding for creation and repairs of streets and sidewalks.
• Economically Growing Mount Rainier
  • ensuring the city hired a skilled and experienced Economic Development Director with a proven track record;
  • funding of the million dollar incentive fund to grow existing businesses and attract new opportunities to the city;
• Re-imagining Public Safety Through Community Engagement
  • advocated for the hiring of former Police Chief Anthony Morgan, who implemented a community policing model to address community concerns and improve community relations with police officers;
  • worked closely with former Police Chief Morgan to diversify the police force;
  • awarded the Chief's Award of Excellence for being a close collaborator in addressing the critical needs of the city;
• Leading the Census and Pandemic Response
  • investing in marginalized groups during the pandemic: provided 30,000 hot meals to senior citizens, $60,000 rental assistance, 500,000 pounds of food for food insecure families in our community, and granted 52,000 facemask for the community;
  • led the citywide Census Complete Count Committee and was awarded $19,000 in Grants;
  • selected by Maryland Department of Planning as Census Champion;
  • collaborated with health clinics to bring information and resources to the community as part of my accessible health resources program;
• Diversity, Inclusion and Equity
  • proposed resolutions that reflect the values of Mount Rainier, such as Indiginous People Day, Latino Heritage Month, LGTBQ+ Month and the raising of the LGBTQ flag at city hall for the first time in the city's history.

If I were privileged enough to be selected as your mayor, I commit to continue working hard to represent all residents of this wonderful city by listening and responding to your concerns. I want to continue the work of bringing the City of Mount Rainier into the 21th century by implementing best practices in the city's operations, and working to attract quality businesses to the area while retaining our social-economically and diverse community. I look forward to having a participatory budget process, increasing the frequency of our communications, and improving the accountability between the city and its residents. We deserve a walkable, bikeable, green city and that is what I want to deliver to you. 

I cannot do this alone. Despite the hardships of the last year, the resiliency of the Mount Rainier community has shown itself time and time again. We have and will continue to rise to the occasion.

If you share my vision for a better Mount Rainier, I ask that you join my campaign for mayor.

   - Celina - Together we are Stronger!