First day on the job: Mayor and new city council members meet for the first time
Following yesterday’s inauguration ceremony, Mayor Percy Bland and city council members are getting adjusted to their new terms.
“We had three new city council folks. They were very excited. I was very excited,” said Bland.
The mayor and council members met yesterday for the first time at city hall.
“I kind of didn’t know what to expect exactly, even though I’ve been in the back of this room plenty of times observing. It’s different when you’re on this side,” said Ward 5 City Councilman Weston Lindemann.
“It was very interesting and a new experience. I got to hear a lot more about what’s going on in this city,” said Ward 2 City Councilman Tyrone Johnson.
The meeting was a lot longer than normal, as council members had to get a few things in place.
Residents will see the same city department heads going forward. Council members approved all of Bland’s appointed positions.
“We had a lot of success over the last four years. Those guys have done a solid job and have a lot of momentum going forward,” said Bland.
Ward 1 City Councilman Dr. George Thomas will serve as the council’s president, and Ward 3 City Councilwoman Fannie Johnson will serve as the vice president.
“I want to make sure I’m listening and learning and making informed decisions. That means i’m going to be doing more listening than talking,” said Johnson.
Lindemann said he’s ready to tackle the urban blight seen in his ward.
“When it’s not infringing on a property owner’s rights, we want to see about crowdfunding to speed
up the process or renovating and building up these properties.”
And Tyrone Johnson shared what he hopes to accomplish as a councilman.
“One of my biggest things is unity. I definitely want to look forward to getting active in the community more and getting everybody out and getting more voters to the scene.”
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