You may have read last week that Councilman Scott Bartley chose to introduce himself as the city’s new mayor by insulting a political critic. Being Santa Rosa, the usual huffing and puffing ensued.

Santa Rosa’s new mayor is refusing to apologize for calling a neighborhood activist ‘clueless,’ but his critics say he’s the one who needs to get a clue about being the leader of the North Coast’s largest city. During his first full meeting in the mayor’s chair, Scott Bartley said he wouldn’t apologize for his published comments about Jack Swearengen, the president of the Friends of SMART and the former head of the Northwest Santa Rosa Neighborhood Association.

As Santa Rosa native Scott Bartley settles in as mayor, he’s hopeful the Santa Rosa City Council can work together to strengthen the economy, get projects back on track.

Opponents of Sonoma-Marin Area Rail Transit’s plans are recruiting paid signature-gatherers in a last-ditch effort to get a measure on the November ballot to overturn the commute line’s sales tax. RepealSMART organizers also said Thursday they are intent on gathering 40,000 signatures by Jan. 27 to force SMART directors to set the election.