Aldermen sworn into office
By: Andrew Dunn, Senior Writer
Issue date: 12/5/07 Section: City
|
After 10 minutes of saying his thanks and goodbyes, departing Carrboro Alderman Alex Zaffron gave his final piece of advice as a town elected official.
"You have something great here, and I would suggest you have something magical," said Zaffron, who served on the board for 12 years. "Don't blow it."
Newcomer Lydia Lavelle and incumbents Joal Hall Broun and Dan Coleman were sworn in as aldermen, and incumbent Mark Chilton was sworn in as mayor in front of a packed room at the Carrboro Board of Aldermen meeting Tuesday.
"I am honored and excited and humbled by this opportunity," Lavelle said. "I look forward to adding my voice to the Board of Aldermen as we tackle these challenges, and I look forward to representing all the citizens of Carrboro."
All the officials - who were chosen in the Nov. 6 municipal elections - were given standing ovations by the family-heavy audience.
The officials also listed some of the main issues they said Carrboro will face, including commercial development and environmental protections.
"We've got a lot of challenges in front of us," Coleman said. "We've got a lot of ambitions for a small town that's a little too big for its breeches."
The new board's first motion was to appoint John Herrera as mayor pro tem. The board also passed a resolution to apply for grants to protect pedestrian access to Carrboro Elementary School.
Though the reception after the meeting was filled with backslaps and congratulations, the meeting began on a somber note.
Broun broke down in tears as she read a resolution thanking Zaffron for his tenure on the board, which also included serving as mayor pro tem from 2001-03.
How different will the new board be?
"You'll find out," Zaffron said. "It'll be like when Drew Carey took over 'The Price is Right.'"
Contact the City Editor at citydesk@unc.edu.
Be the first to comment on this story