City Inaugural Events, and a Special City Council Meeting, Are On Tap Today
The inauguration of elected officials, a public reception at Look Park and an organizational City Council meeting will be held today.
JAN. 3, 2012, NORTHAMPTON – Inauguration ceremonies for the newly elected mayor, members of the City Council and School Committee and other officials, will begin at 10 a.m. today at the Northampton High School.
City Clerk Wendy Mazza, who was elected to another two-year term on Nov. 8, will be sworn in by District Court Judge Jacklyn Connly; then Mazza will swear in Mayor-elect David Narkiewicz for a two-year term, along with other city officials. After former mayors in attendance are introduced to the audience, Narkewicz will give his inaugural address.
Acting Mayor Dave Narkewicz, the City Council president, will be sworn in today for a two-year term as mayor, (David Reid photo)
The Northamptones, an a cappella choral group of city high-schoolers, will perform during the ceremony. Gerry Clark, president of the Veterans Council of Northampton, will lead the Pledge of Allegiance, and the Rev. Dr. Andrea Ayvazian will give the invocation and benediction.
An “Inaugural Reception,” a free event where the public can schmooze with elected officials, will be held at the Look Park Garden House from 5 to 7 p.m. tonight. Light refreshments and a cash bar will be available.
The New City Council Meets for the First Time Today
Between the inaugural events, at 2 p.m. today, the newly sworn-in nine-member City Council will hold an organizational meeting, where – after voting to accept the council’s current set of operating rules – members will elect a new council president.
Bill Dwight, the at-large councilor-elect, has a lock on the City Council president's post before today's 2 p.m. vote.
There is no suspense about the outcome of that vote.
As we first reported last month, 10 days before he was even sworn in as a member of the new City Council, William “Bill” Dwight – the former Ward 1 councilor who was elected last fall to one of two at-large City Council seats – had already lined up a majority of votes among his peers to lock up the council president’s position. Dwight, the only new member of this council, was the leading council vote-getter on Nov. 8.
The council’s organizational meeting will be held in the council chambers at the Puchalski Municipal Building behind City Hall.
On Thursday at 7:15 p.m., Mayor Narkewicz and Council President Dwight will preside over the first regular meeting of the council’s 2012-2014 term. To see the meeting agenda and documents relating to the meeting, click here.
–David Reid
© 2011 Northampton Media
David Reid can be reached at dreid@northamptonmedia.com
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