Without a fumble or a stammer, City Councilman Bob Kellar recited the oath of office from memory Tuesday as he was sworn in as the new mayor of Santa Clarita…     Kellar took little time before declaring his intent to work on the “Big Three” items he feels are the most important issues facing Santa Clarita: roads, fighting the Transit Mixed Concrete mine, and cleanup of the contaminated Whittaker-Bermite property.
    While the city has made substantial progress toward the completion of the cross-valley connector — an 8.5-mile stretch of road linking Interstate 5 in Valencia to state Route 14 in Canyon Country — more funding must be secured.
    Further, the city needs to begin work on other proposed roadways, Kellar said, such as the Via Princessa and Wiley Canyon extension.
    “But first, we must make progress on the cleanup of Whittaker,” he said. “We are finally seeing progress being made …. Over the course of the next year, we must see some cleanup on this site.”
    The city will also continue to fight against the proposed Transit Mixed Concrete mega-mine in eastern Soledad Canyon.
    Kellar said he will say “No, and I mean hell no, to any project that exceeds historical mining levels” in that location.
    U.S. Rep. Howard “Buck” McKeon recently introduced legislation to limit mining in the area to such levels, a move that would dramatically cut back on the size of the proposed Transit Mixed mine.
    Kellar said he also wants to work on the city’s economic development, lending more support to Santa Clarita’s businesses and keeping city contracts local, encouraging the “Shop Local” campaign to keep sales tax revenues in the city.
    He also pledged to organize a special meeting of the City Council in January to establish its objectives for 2004.
    Kellar’s swearing in as mayor marked the end of the term for last year’s Mayor Cameron Smyth, who handed over the gavel and received praise from community leaders for his accomplishments.
    “Mayor, you have made us proud,” said Councilwoman Laurene Weste.
    College of the Canyons Board of Trustees President Bruce Fortine thanked Smyth for his support for education in the community, and for helping to pass the youth tax initiative — a program that will allow local businesses to help bring tax dollars back into the city to split with the college for its new University Center.
    Santa Clarita City Manager Ken Pulskamp said the great year that has passed was the result of Smyth’s leadership.
    Several representatives from state and federal legislators also thanked Smyth for his work as mayor, but took advantage of the opportunity to roast him as well.
    “I knew you as a kid, and I knew you as a mayor,” said Fred Trueblood, field deputy to state Assemblyman Keith Richman.
    “You were a great kid,” he joked.
    The city also honored Smyth’s reign as mayor with a special video presentation of pictures from the past year, set to the tune of the song, “Mr. Big Stuff.”
    Smyth, who later in the evening was nominated to fill in as mayor pro tem, became emotional as his term came to an end.
    “Like all good things, the time has come,” he said. “This year has been a year to remember.”
    In a year that saw the nation go to war, a revolution in the state’s government, and the worst fires to char the area in a century, Smyth said there was one event that stood out above the rest.
    “There was no day greater and no memory stronger than Nov. 1,” Smyth said, choking back tears. “That’s the day that the Lord blessed us with Gavin.”
    Smyth’s first baby, Gavin McLean Smyth, slept through much of the meeting in a stroller parked next to Smyth’s wife, Lena Smyth.
    “Although I’ve enjoyed every minute of this year, I’m really looking forward to next year,” he said.