Breaking from the normal rotation, Vice Mayor Sarah Wernikoff asked not to be nominated to serve as mayor for Portola Valley in 2023 for personal reasons during a Wednesday, Dec. 14 meeting. Instead, she nominated Jeff Aalfs for the role.

When newly sworn in council member Mary Hufty asked if fellow newcomer Judith Hasko would be interested in the mayor role, Hasko said she believed the mayor should be someone with experience on the council.

"From my perspective, it would be more appropriate for Jeff Aalfs to serve the role this year," said Hasko, who just left her role on the Planning Commission and called into the meeting as she was recovering from COVID-19. She declined Hufty's nomination and seconded Aalfs' nomination. The council voted 5-0 in favor of Aalfs.

Aalfs nominated Wernikoff for vice mayor. Hufty nominated Hasko, who accepted the nomination.

The council voted 3-2, with newcomer Craig Taylor, Aalfs and Wernikoff voting yes and Hasko and Hufty voting no for Wernikoff to serve as vice mayor.

Aalfs, who works in energy and green building consulting, joined the council in 2011. When he ran in 2020, he said if elected this term, which ends in 2024, will likely be his last on the council. He last served as Portola Valley's mayor twice. Before joining the council he served on the town's Architecture and Site Control Commission for three years.

Wernikoff moved to the Bay Area with her husband in the '90s before settling in Portola Valley 16 years ago. She previously served as a community volunteer in the Portola Valley School District.

More on Wernikoff's decision

Wernikoff said she made the decision not to serve as mayor because her daughter will be attending a residential life skills program on the East Coast this year.

"She's (her daughter) played the role of North Star in all of my decision making," Wernikoff said. "Given her circumstances require my frequent travel, I've decided this is not a good year to serve in the role of mayor, particularly given the fact that we are going to mandatory in-person meetings beginning March 1."

Wernikoff added that she would appreciate the opportunity to serve as mayor in 2024.

Wernikoff, who joined the council in 2020, said that there is precedent in town for breaking from the traditional rotation of leadership roles. For example, outgoing Council member John Richards declined to be nominated for vice mayor in 2022, which brought Wernikoff into the role a year earlier than would be typical.

Watch a video of the meeting here.