Saratoga council appoints Belal Aftab as mayor

The Saratoga City Council unanimously voted on Dec. 18 to appoint Belal Aftab as mayor and Chuck Page as vice mayor for 2025.

Aftab had been poised to take on the role of mayor after serving in 2024 as vice mayor, but the council’s decision earlier this year to cancel the election and appoint incumbent council members Tina Walia and Kookie Fitzsimmons to their seats threw a wrench in the selection for vice mayor. Usually, the top two vote-getters in the election are added to the rotation for mayor and vice mayor...