Kitty Moore was sworn in as mayor of Cupertino on Thursday after the City Council voted unanimously to elevate Moore and to name former mayor Lianne Fang Chow as vice mayor.

The vote followed roughly 40 minutes of public comment during which dozens of speakers praised the outgoing leadership but were sharply divided over whether Councilmember Ray Wong should be elevated to vice mayor. Supporters described Wong as a resident-focused councilmember who "shows up" for neighborhood events and mayor's chats. Opponents accused him of improperly ending a Dec. 2 meeting and called his later apology “not believable.”

Councilmember Wong addressed the council before the vote and offered a direct apology for his actions during the Dec. 2 meeting. “I want to sincerely apologize for leaving the Zoom meeting on December 2 in protest, which resulted in council being unable to take action,” he said. He acknowledged threatening to leave to stop the meeting, said the power went out before he could find an outlet, and said he was unable to return. “I am sincerely, sincerely sorry,” Wong said.

Several speakers told the council they had filed a public records request and reviewed text messages they said undermined Wong’s explanation that a low battery caused him to disconnect. Planning Commissioner Sima Linscog said she obtained a text exchange through a PRA and said it showed Wong had access to a charger while on the call. “So he lied to us,” she told the council.

Others asked the council to accept Wong’s apology and move on. Steven Scharf, a former mayor, said Wong had apologized and the city should focus on council business: “Accept his apology and move Cupertino forward,” he said.

Mayor Moore nominated Lianne Fang Chow to serve as vice mayor and Ray Wong to nominate Moore as mayor. The motion — moved by Councilmember Ray Wong and seconded by Councilmember JR Fruin — carried unanimously; the city clerk announced, “The motion carries unanimously.” The council then conducted oaths of office: Moore and Chow each swore to support the constitutions of the United States and the State of California and to faithfully discharge their duties to the City of Cupertino.

Throughout the meeting Mayor Chow and other city leaders addressed procedural concerns about the Dec. 2 agenda item that triggered the dispute. The mayor said she consolidated a study session and an action item under one heading on Dec. 2 to streamline public comment but acknowledged that the published agenda label—"study session"—created confusion. She said staff would work with the city attorney to improve agenda descriptions and avoid future misunderstandings.

The council’s formal action at Thursday’s special meeting was limited to the reorganization vote. No disciplinary action or changes to council membership were taken. The newly sworn Mayor Moore closed the meeting after brief council comments thanking outgoing Mayor Chow and looking ahead to a new year of governance.

What’s next: The council will continue its regular calendar and the mayor and vice mayor typically preside over agenda-setting meetings; the council discussed clarifying future agenda descriptions and the Mary/Marriott Avenue item was re-agendized for clearer public notice.