Council, mayor take oath
Published 8:58 pm Tuesday, January 3, 2017
- Members of the Suffolk Police Department Honor Guard prepare for the Pledge of Allegiance at the beginning of the City Council Investiture Ceremony on Tuesday.
Pride, thankfulness and a sense of anticipation for what the future holds for the city were the main themes during an investiture ceremony for the mayor and three members of City Council on Tuesday.
Mayor Linda T. Johnson and council members Roger W. Fawcett, Curtis R. Milteer Sr. and Lue R. Ward Jr. were all re-elected to their positions in November.
During Tuesday’s ceremony, each of them had a chance to speak to a roomful of supporters prior to having the oath of office administered by Suffolk Circuit Court Clerk Randy Carter.
Alluding to the significance of a ceremony in which she was taking the oath of office for the third time as the only elected mayor the city has ever known, Johnson said, “It’s very emotional when it’s your home and you love it and you get to serve as the mayor of your city. I’m grateful for this opportunity.”
Whaleyville Borough Council Member Curtis Milteer takes the oath office for the 10th time since first being elected in 1980. Standing with him is his wife Sarah.
“My love for this city is surpassed only by my love and appreciation for my family,” Johnson said, adding that it was only through the support of family and friends that she was able to be successful in the role of an elected official.
“We are a city that turns adversity into potential,” she said, and she promised to “continue to work hard to build this city into what our children deserve it to be.”
Johnson’s pride in the city’s achievements echoed the sentiments of the three other council members who renewed their oath of office Tuesday.
“We have done and accomplished a lot of things for this city, and there’s more to accomplish, said Fawcett, who represents the Sleepy Hole Borough. “We have a wonderful city.”
“Suffolk is a good city,” added Lue Ward, who represents the Nansemond Borough. “I’m proud to be in this city … (and) I’m going to give you all I’ve got.”
Milteer, who has represented the Whaleyville Borough since 1980, joked about his long service to the city.
“This is not my first trip,” he said to laughter as he took to the microphone. “This is my 10th time taking the oath of office.”
During those 36 years, he said, “Suffolk has come a long ways.”
In 1980, for instance, Suffolk was borrowing money to get through the year, he said. Today, the city has a AAA bond rating.
Following the investiture ceremony, council members took their seats at the front of the room for a quick organizational meeting in which Cypress Borough Councilman Leroy Bennett was re-elected as vice mayor. The vote confirming Councilman Don Goldberg’s nomination was 7-1 in Bennett’s favor, with only Ward voting against him.
