At a swearing in ceremony Jan. 4 at City Hall, Judge David Najjar, Hamilton Superior Court 5, administered the oath of office to the seven city council members elected to office in 2023.
Newly seated council members include Jon Dartt, District 1; Victor McCarty, District 2; Joe Duepner, District 3; Patrick Tamm, District 4; Noah Heron, District 5; and at-large representatives Chad Huff and Kurt Wanninger. All the new members are Republicans.
“It’s a thankless job, folks,” Mayor Scott Willis said. “Every decision you make, someone will not like it.”
WIllis served one term as the District 1 council representative prior to being elected mayor.
“We’re not always going to agree, and that’s a good thing,” said Willis, who is also a Republican.
Marla Ailor was sworn in as City of Westfield clerk-treasurer.
Retired clerk-treasurer Cindy Gossard said she asked all the council members and the mayor to include the clerk-treasurer’s office as much as they can because that hadn’t always been done in the past, and she believes the new administration is willing to do that.
The Rev. Eric Lohe of CrossRoads Church at Westfield opened the ceremony in prayer and closed it by praying for each council member by first name asking that they be “confident but not arrogant, humble but not submissive, just but not unmerciful, sensitive to the people of Westfield but not soft.”
“We have diverse backgrounds,” Dartt said. “I think we’re all thought leaders and independent thinkers, and that should work well for a council.”
Dartt and Wanninger agreed that they are looking forward to the redevelopment of downtown.
“I think one goal is to bring the city back together, to build trust in the city and in the departments,” Wanninger said.
The first city council meeting of the new year is set for 7 p.m. Jan.8 at City Hall at 130 Penn St. and will include a public hearing and adoption consideration regarding the annexation of land at 1510 E. 116th St.
