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Mayor Stone's Term

Writer's picture: Gunn ChariotGunn Chariot

Updated: Jan 14

Written by Isha Sinha


Graphics by Jesse Li
Graphics by Jesse Li

2024 was marked by turbulence and transformation, characterized by controversial national elections and pressing international affairs. Amid the chaos, the Palo Alto public looked toward local elections to address pivotal issues within our community. The 2025 Palo Alto City Council election shaped the future of controversial topics, including affordable housing, climate change, and youth mental health.

In a competitive race for four City Council seats, Greer Stone emerged on top, securing 15.5% of the votes, closely followed by George Lu with 14.2%. With Stone’s strong standing, many Palo Alto residents regard him as the prominent leader in shaping the city’s future. For students, the 2024 Palo Alto Board of Education election underscored vital issues, including prioritizing youth mental health, expanding current wellness initiatives, and student voice within the community.

With Palo Alto being nationally recognized for its challenging history regarding student mental health, the city council faces significant pressure to introduce and expand on initiatives to alleviate student stress. Stone has a personal passion for the issue, drawing from his experiences with student mental health challenges as the driving force behind his initial jump into public service. “I lost a high school friend from suicide a couple of of years after we graduated. So a continued focus on youth mental health is something that I will continue to prioritize,” he said.

Stone aims to increase the number of teen centers to provide youth with safe places to relax and connect— a need identified by the Youth Mental Health and Wellness Task Force, a team established by Stone. “We’ve already been able to make several policy changes that I think are going to help our community’s youth,” Stone said. “We’ve identified a new site in North Palo Alto on Bryant Street, where we’ll be opening up a new teen center in the spring.”

The Task Force also recognizes the importance for youth members to easily access mental health resources, noting that many teenagers are unable to drive. “[Palo Alto Link] is a city-operated ride share service like Uber and Lyft, where young people can get free rides to access mental health and other teen services,” Stone said.

Stone hopes to repurpose buildings in Palo Alto better to serve youth in a more relaxed and engaging manner. He reflects on his experience as a teenager in Palo Alto, highlighting a limited number of activities in town. “I’d like to see Palo Alto have more things to do. As teenagers, we had things like a bowling alley and escape rooms. It would be cool to have something like that- fun activities for young people” he said.

Stone acknowledges that many of his projects would have remained dreams without his re-election to a second term. “I wanted to see the outcome of such projects, because youth mental health is one of the main reasons why I entered public service in the first place when I was 23 years old,” he said.

Stone hopes to see students take action and actively engage with causes they care about. “You might be surprised with what you can accomplish in your community,” Stone said. “One of the great things about local government is that your voice can truly make a difference and lead to positive change. You just have to get out there and meet with council members. Speak up, help organize, and there’s a lot that you can accomplish.

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