Featured photo: Tonya Burns and Allie Herkenroder were among six women sworn in for the Flint City Council Nov. 8
Written by Tanya Terry
A swearing in ceremony was held in the Flint City Council chambers on November 8, and not only were six of the individuals sworn in new-but six of them were also female!
“That is the kind of new perspective we need,” said Allie Herkenroder, who was sworn in as 7th Ward councilwoman.
Attorney Carl Bekofske acted as the emcee.
After the presentation of the U.S. flag and pledge of allegiance was presented by the Dr. George Washington Carver/Leo R. Crow VFW Post No. 8236, with Williams Saines as commander, patriotic songs were sung. Glen Holcomb, voice instructor at the Flint Institute of Music-School of Performing Arts was accompanied by Breana Anderson, vocalist and Phillip Young, pianist, for the songs.
Then, Rev. Alfred Harris of Saints of God Church offered a prayer. Harris is also president of the Concerned Pastors for Social Action and offered advice to those being sworn in concerning how to be an effective public servant.
“The late Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. once said: ‘life’s most persistent and urgent question is, what are you doing for others?” Harris stated. “As these elected council members are sworn in on today, may they reflect upon and answer the same question: ‘what are you doing for others?”
Congressman Dan Kildee, who is also chief deputy whip of the House Democratic Caucus, told the “elected and reelected” council people they had a tough work to do.
Kildee said the way challenges are overcome is not by minimizing the differences people, including elected officials, have. According to Kildee, the way the challenges are overcome is not by pretending they are not there either, but by understanding our arguments are what democracy looks like.
Cleora Magee, past chairperson of the 2017 Flint Charter Revision Commission, told the council people they are needed to be resilient leaders working with administration to make Flint a better place to live, work and play.
Deborah Cherry, Genesee County treasurer and past county commissioner, state representative and state senator, shared advice from Former Lieutenant Governor of Michigan John Cherry.
“You have to live by what you say you’re going to do, and that’s what makes you a good elected official,” she said.
Judge David Guinn of the 67th District Court presented the Oath of Office, saying he hoped and prayed the council members all serve with integrity and stability.
“I’m concerned because it’s going to be a learning curve for the new council,” said 1st Ward Councilman Eric Mays.
Mays, who would like to be president of the council, said the right leadership is important.
“People need to educate themselves on both parliamentary procedure and council rules in order to effectively move a meeting along,” he added.
Mays has suggested meetings recess if needed to let council members go to bed, then get the work done even if it takes two or three days.
Ladel Lewis, a newcomer to the council, who was sworn in as 2nd Ward councilperson.
“I want to have town hall listening sessions where we come to exclusively listen to the concerns of the residents,” she said.
She also wants to ensure constituent education by the distribution of newsletters, whether via mail, text of email.
Quincy Murphy, who was sworn in as 3rd Ward councilman for the first time, said because in the past the officials elected by the public had been voted in and done “nothing but fuss and fight with each other” and not gotten anything done, it affected the morale. He attributes this to the lower voter turnout the election had.
“I’m not going to do nothing different,” Murphy said. “I’m going to continue to do the stuff I’ve been doing in the community. I’m just going to expand and deal directly with my 3rd Ward constituents…”
Judy Priestley, who was sworn in as 4th Ward council person, said she hopes the council can build a consensus and stop the name calling. She thinks too much time at council meetings is spent taking phone calls from people who are not residents of the city.
“Maybe some of my decisions won’t be popular, but whatever decisions I make, I’m going to do it with the thought of the city and its residents and doing the business the city requires in order to move forward,” Priestley said.
Tonya Burns, who was sworn in as 6th Ward council person, said the way the Flint residents voted in the city council election was a clear indication that the city wants change.
“They want stability amongst council members, and they are ready for the election officials to be professional and conduct themselves as professionals and handle the business of the city,” she said.
According to Burns, the former 6th Ward council person, Herbert Winfrey, who retired, will be assisting her. Burns has a 6th Ward Town hall scheduled for November 20 at Calvary United Methodist Church.
“I’m definitely going to push forward for dignity and respect and working together even if we don’t agree with everything that another person said, making sure that we are here for the right reason-and that reason is for the city of Flint-and make sure we’re pushing forward for the budget for the ARPA plan dollars, the American Rescue Plan dollars,” said Allie Herkenroder. Herkenroder was sworn in as 7th Ward councilwoman.
“What I’ve tried to do from the beginning is to be professional, is to sit back and listen and take back all the different perspectives of my colleagues and work together,” said ,” said Jerri Winfrey-Carter, 5th ward council person.
“I’m sure that in working together each of us will be able to move the city of Flint forward,” Winfrey-Carter added.
Dennis Pfeiffer, who was sworn in as the 8th Ward councilman thanked the residents of the 8th Ward for believing in him, taking a chance and for really wanting change.
“We have a big job ahead of us and a long fight and everybody up here is wanting to move this city along as best as possible,” Pfeiffer said during his remarks at the ceremony.
Eva Worthing, who was already on the council, was sworn in again as 9th Ward council person said she believed some of the council members who were not re-elected were wrongly lumped in with the dysfunction of the council. She said she was called a prostitute by a public speaker and called other names, which the council allowed. She hopes the new council, made up of six women, will be more civil and stick to the issues at hand.
Shortly after the ceremony, Genesee County Clerk John Gleason informed members of the media the election isn’t certified yet because of an issue with one vote. This is not expected to make a difference in the overall outcome of the election. The council members are expected to be sworn in officially, however, when the votes are certified.
The city council meeting, scheduled for November 8 and which was to include the election for council president and vice president, was cancelled.
