An honorary street sign designating O'Farrell Street as "Jerry Hill Street" will be permanently installed near San Mateo City Hall after a public unveiling ceremony on Friday, July 17.
The City of San Mateo is honoring Hill, a longtime resident who held elected office continuously from 1991 to 2020, serving as city council member, mayor, county supervisor, state Assembly member, and state senator. The city said the sign recognizes his "lasting impact on the community."
The event begins at 10 a.m. at City Hall, 330 W. 20th Ave., with the formal program starting at 10:30 a.m. and running until 11:30 a.m. It will include remarks from local elected officials and light refreshments. Attendance is free, though the city says pre-registration is highly encouraged through Eventbrite.
Nearly three decades in office
Hill, 79, first won a seat on the San Mateo City Council in 1991 and served through 1998, including a term as mayor. He moved to the San Mateo County Board of Supervisors in 1998, where he led efforts that expanded health care coverage for more than 17,000 children and helped create a homeless shelter in the county, according to the California State Senate archives.
He then served in the California State Assembly from 2008 to 2012 before winning election to the State Senate, where he represented the 13th District covering San Mateo County and parts of northern Santa Clara County until 2020.
The Sacramento Bee reported in 2017 that Hill had had 108 bills signed into law, more than any other sitting state legislator at that point.
Among his signature accomplishments: as a council member, Hill authored one of California's first ordinances regulating tobacco sales and restricting smoking in public places. As a state senator, he wrote SB 793, which imposed the strongest state restrictions on retail sales of flavored tobacco products. Gov. Gavin Newsom signed it in September 2020, and the U.S. Supreme Court later upheld the law.
Hill and his spouse, Sky, are longtime San Mateo residents.
How to attend
The ceremony takes place Friday, July 17, at San Mateo City Hall, 330 W. 20th Ave. The event begins at 10 a.m.; the program starts at 10:30 a.m. Registration is free through Eventbrite.
