Local commission, councils get New Year going with ceremonies to start new terms
The start of every year brings about required votes for local councils and commissions. Depending on the setup, Commissions are choosing new chairs and vice chairs, councils have to decide a pro tem, and those who are starting new terms in office have to be sworn into service.
Aragon, Cedartown and Rockmart all held ceremonies in recent days to kick off new terms in office for a group of newly elected members and incumbents returning to the work that voters sent them to office to do on their behalf.
Aragon held their ceremony just ahead of the New Year on December 29, while Cedartown and Rockmart held their ceremonies during their normal meetings on January 8 and Jan. 9 respectively. (Aragon doesn’t meet until January 18 – the third Thursday each month – and thus a swearing-in was held ahead of the start of the year to accommodate staff and Judge Bobby Brooks.)
Here’s an overview of newly sworn-in and returning members to commissions and councils:
Aragon
The first pair to swear their oaths heading into 2024 were Ed Streetman and Donnie Canada for the Aragon City Council. Canada is a returning council member who starts his second term in office on the council, while Streetman is one of two newcomers to the Council following the results of the 2023 Election.
The pair serve alongside Council member Dickie Gazaway and newcomer Stephen Sanders. Sanders won a special election in November to take on the rest of the term left open in 2022 by the resignation of Daniel Johnson.
Making the position of Mayor a more permanent one (for the next four years) was Judd Fee with his swearing in ceremony on the Friday before the start of 2024. Fee was Mayor Pro Tem until he became Acting Mayor just ahead of qualifying, and then won the seat for a full term by just a handful of votes in the 2023 Election.
The group will hold their first meetings together on the 18th, with the work session set to start at 6 p.m. and the regular session to follow at 7 p.m.
Cedartown
One longtime incumbent and one newcomer were sworn in on Monday by Judge Ben Burch for the start of their new terms in office.
Dale Tuck, who begins her fifth term as a city commissioner, is the member of the board with the most experience after 16 years in office. Several commissioners in Cedartown’s past have put up more terms than her, but in recent memory.
Ryan Casey is the newcomer to the board in Cedartown. He takes over the seat held by Andrew Carter until he decided not to seek another term in office. Casey, who works for Home Depot in a Community Outreach role, was the only one to qualify for the seat and took over unopposed.
Rockmart
Mayor Sherman Ross started his new term, alongside Council Members Marty Robinson and Rick Stone for the start of a new term during the Council Meeting on Tuesday evening, January 9.
Editor’s note: this item has been updated because it was not immediately known at the time of publication that Mr. Stone had not yet been sworn in and wasn’t in attendance for the Tuesday session. Additional coverage to follow. -KtE
The council started off their session as the trio of incumbents returned to office for the next four years. Ross – who served on the council before seeking to become Mayor in 2019 after the retirement of Mayor Steve Miller – retained his seat following a December run-off for the 2023 Election cycle.
Robinson also began his second term in office on the council. Stone is now beginning his fourth term in office on the council. He was elected in 2011 and began his service in January 2012. Robinson and Stone both ran unopposed for their seats.
Photos from Rockmart were graciously provided by the City for publication. -KtE
What’s next?
County elections for seats in District 1, 2 and 3 are up along with a number of constitutional offices locally, and state and national votes for the 2024 election cycle. More to come on when qualifying for offices will begin and who will be running for the forthcoming primary and general election ballots.
Additionally, the county commission will be appointing a District 1 board member before the March 1 deadline required by law to fill the seat.
