Mayor Steve Adler addresses the crowd from the dais for the first time as mayor during the Jan. 6 inauguration.[/caption]Leadership in the city of Austin changed hands Jan. 6 as 10 recently elected City Council members and the new mayor were sworn into office.
Representing portions of Northwest Austin, council members Gregorio “Greg” Casar in District 4, Don Zimmerman in District 6, Leslie Pool in District 7 and Sheri Gallo in District 10 all drew lots to serve two-year terms on City Council during the inauguration ceremony.
“Today is the day that 10-1 begins and this is what it looks like. These are your new leaders,” Mayor Steve Adler said, addressing the crowd as the new council convened for the first time.
Adler spoke of coming changes to move the city forward and the challenges council will face. He said the city has the necessary resources and ideas to enact those changes.
“I’m hoping you see yourself on this dais,” Adler said. “If you don’t, rest assured we’re going to make sure you’re sitting at the table with us together as we shape our city’s future. The only way we’re going to get the community will to do big things is to see Austin from each other’s perspective because that’s where our best ideas are going to come from.”
Pool also addressed the new and different ways council plans to operate.
“Our first efforts … [have] been working on new systems and workflow and it has been accomplished with consensus of us all,” she said. “We look forward to having public input on the concepts we’ll roll out later this week.”
Casar said the energy and vision represented on the new council will help take the city in a better direction.
“That’s why we’re talking about very early on changing the way council does business so we can truly engage the public and channel the amazing energy and talents and courage that exists in this city that we can truly be the greatest city in America,” Casar said.
Zimmerman said Adler has been meeting with each of the new council members to get to know them better.
“I’m really excited about [Adler's] leadership, and I think that he’s going to be our point man for effecting all the change that you want,” Zimmerman said. “I want to congratulate him and support the early efforts he makes in reforming the way we do things.”
Gallo, the daughter of former Mayor Pro Tem Edgar Perry who served more than 50 years ago, said her family represents the first father-daughter combo to serve on Austin City Council.
“He taught me by his influence and actions that public service is the rent that you pay to live in a community,” Gallo said. “I’ve learned that, I’ve learned it well, but it was because of his influence, and I thank him for that. … My pledge is to serve the citizens as well as he served the citizens over 50 years ago.”
