OCEANSIDE —
Oceanside City Councilwoman Esther Sanchez’s new title of mayor comes with some important firsts, but those are not the achievements at the top of her list.
Her priorities as a council member for 20 years have been protecting people’s civil rights, helping the homeless and safeguarding the environment, she said. She plans to continue that and more after she’s sworn in at a special meeting Tuesday as the first female mayor and the first Latina mayor of North County’s largest city.
As one of the less development-oriented council members, she’s often been on the losing side of 4-1 and 3-2 votes. But she doesn’t consider herself an outsider.