Councilman Steve Glickman was chosen to serve as vice mayor.

Decker, 61, beamed and told the large crowd, "I count myself the most fortunate person on earth to stand here before you." Decker said she feels honored to hold the position and thanked Attaway for his 12 years of service to the community.

Attaway, Decker said, "put a dazzling shine on our beautiful, beautiful town" in the projects that he oversaw. "This town holds you in the highest regard for your leadership," Decker told Attaway.

Attaway said the completion of phase one of the N. Santa Cruz Avenue streetscape project and the Town Plaza Park renovation were cooperative efforts. "Clearly, it's not what the mayor does," Attaway said. "It was this council voting together to get things accomplished. Any mayor is as good as the council behind him or her."

Likewise, Attaway complimented Decker, who he said accompanied him to most meetings and collaborated with him on various projects. Decker "practically was the mayor with me," Attaway said.

Other council members also commended Attaway for his three terms on the council. "Randy's interest in continuing the leadership of this community, over the last 12 years, has truly made us a special place," Councilman Joe Pirzynski said. Pirzynski noted that he had not considered becoming active in town government until Attaway brought it up.

On his nomination, Glickman, 58, said, "It's an honor and privilege to serve the town." Glickman said he will do his best to help Decker make this "her year of jubilee."

Decker later said her main goal in the next year is to help Los Gatos remain a "safe, warm, caring community."

With the current state of the economy, Decker says, "constant vigilance" is necessary. On a wider level, the town must keep its eye on its own finances, since the state is considering looking to local sales tax revenue as a means to pay off its deficit.

"We've got to be very, very careful. We've got a successful, revenue-generating town because we did everything right," Decker said.

On a local level, Decker says, she will continue to prioritize the economic vitality of the town. Although there is a "slightly higher rate of turnover as a result of the economic downturn," Decker said, there is still a quick re-leasing of vacant retail spaces.

Decker says her to-do list for the year includes the second phase of the streetscape project and gateway projects for the town, but she declines to name other specific measures until her State of the Town address in 2003. That gives the council time to meet and discuss the town's strategic plan.

"What this is going to be is a collective collaboration," Decker said.

Attaway, 53, says his 12 years as a councilman have been just that. "I felt as if I had a good support system," Attaway said. "A mayor can't do it by him or herself. No one can lose sight that it's the residents, it's the business community, it's the leaders."

Attaway says the streetscape improvements and the plaza remodel are two of his biggest projects, but he is most proud of coordinating the visit of Brazil's soccer team, which came to Los Gatos in 1994 and stayed while it competed for the World Cup. As a result, Brazil awarded Attaway the highest honor that it gives to foreigners.

With his free time, Attaway says, he will put more effort into his business, focus on home projects and "get to know my friends even better."

"It's going to be quite a change," Attaway said.