IN SHORT: Local city officials will take the oath of office during the first week of January.
Leader staff report
Numerous inaugural ceremonies for city officials elected during the November elections will take place at the beginning of January in the central Arkansas area.
The swearing-in of all Jacksonville officials will occur at the first meeting of its city council, which is scheduled to begin at 7 p.m. Thursday.
Asked why Jacksonville’s event will not take place on Jan. 1, Mayor Tommy Swaim explained that this way, family gatherings over the New Year’s holiday would not be interrupted.
According to Swaim, the practice of not having a Jan. 1 swearing-in ceremony is in compliance with state statutes and the event has been similarly scheduled like this over the past eight to 10 years.
The Sherwood swearing-in ceremony will be at 10 a.m. Monday in the council chambers at city hall off Kiehl Avenue. Sherwood’s mayor-elect Dan Stedman will be among those sworn in during the event; a short reception will follow the ceremony.
Lonoke County officials will be sworn in at 9 a.m. Monday in Circuit Judge Lance Hanshaw’s courtroom at the Lonoke County Courthouse.
The organizational meeting of the Lonoke County Quorum Court will be held at 5:30 p.m. in the John Deere building across the street from the county courthouse.
At 10 a.m., Lonoke officials, including mayor-elect Wayne McGee, will be sworn into office by District Judge Barbara Elmore in the municipal courtroom at Lonoke City Hall.
Cabot officials will be sworn in at 6 p.m. next Saturday at the city’s new Veterans Community Center across from the high school.
Cabot mayor-elect Eddie Joe Williams, City Clerk Marva Verkler and City Attorney Jimmy Taylor will take the oath of office Tuesday so they can conduct city business.
Jimmy Taylor will all take the oath of office Tuesday, in order to conduct city business. District Judge Joe O’Bryan will administer the oath of office.
Judge Phillip Whiteaker will preside at next Saturday’s ceremony sponsored by the Cabot Chamber of Commerce.
Council members Eddie Long, Eddie Cook, Virgil Teague, Ken Williams, Tom Armstrong, Teri Miessner, Becky Lemaster and Lisa Brickell will also be sworn in.
Austin city officials, including re-elected Mayor Bernie Cham-berlain, will be sworn in by Lonoke County Judge Charlie Troutman at 10:30 a.m Monday at Austin City Hall.
All Ward city officials, including re-elected Mayor Art Brooke, will also be sworn in by Lonoke County Judge Charlie Troutman at 11 a.m. Monday at Ward City Hall.
Beebe elected officials, including Mayor Mike Robertson, aldermen and clerk/treasurer will be sworn in at 8:30 a.m. Monday in the Com-munity Bank Room of the Roswell Beebe Municipal Complex.
White County officials will be sworn in at 9 a.m. Monday at the county courthouse in Searcy.
