The Dame City commission meet will now come to order.

Please rise.

So first of all, good evening and also uh Merry Christmas and I hope you're having a great new year so far.

At this point in time, I'd like to call Bishop Robert Lyons.

Can I hear me?

Let's do it this way.

Thank you.

Appreciate that.

So give everything again.

Uh first of all, good evening.

And uh Merry Christmas, and hope you're having a great new year, and it's only going to get better.

At this point in time, I'd like to have uh Bishop Robert Lyons from Tabernacle Church come forward to give the invocation.

May we bow our heads.

This is a day that we've never seen, but you've been here already.

This is a moment that we've never experienced, but God, you are not surprised.

And God, as we stand in this place at this time, God, we declare this place to be sacred because I know you want to do something in this city.

God, there are things happening on every block in every area.

God, we have issues of violence, we have issues of homelessness, we have issues, God, of famine, we have issues of economics, but God, I know that you are better than all of that.

There is no other power, and you cannot be defeated.

And so, God, as I stand, I'm asking as we prepare to move forward with new administration.

God, I know you already are aware of what we need.

So God bless this moment, bless this time, bless this city, and God, as we install these new officers as we swear them in, God help them to understand the gravity of what they're saying yes to.

Be with them, keep them, cover them in your power.

God, we know that this city cannot move forward without divine intervention.

We've tried every program.

We have tried every tactic, we have tried every strategy, but God, I stand as your messenger to say, come into this city and do your work.

We welcome you into this place.

And thank you in advance, God, for raising up integral leaders who will not bow down to Baal in Jesus' name and for your glory.

Amen.

Amen.

So at this uh point in time, I'd like to have the presentation of the colors.

So this time, please join me in the Pledge of Allegiance.

Pledge Allegiance to the flag of the United States of America.

Okay, please give me a hand.

The Metal Dell International High School Honor Guard.

You can do better than that.

Nice round of applause again.

One more time.

You may please be seated.

May I have a roll call, please, Miss Blackshear.

Mayor Mayor Mims.

I.

Commissioner Joseph.

Shaw.

Fairchild.

Turner Sloss.

Okay.

Uh Miss Blackshear, what is the nature of today's meeting?

Your Honor, under Section 39 of the Charter of the City of Dayton, it is provided that a special meeting be held to review the results of a regular municipal election and that the commission shall meet at a time the newly elected commissioner shall assume the duties of the office.

Section forty of the charter further provides that the city commission shall be the judge of the election and qualification of its members.

Okay, do you have the certificates for us to review?

I do, Your Honor.

The certificates from the Montgomery County Board of Elections affirm that Shanice Turner Sloss, Darrell Fairchild, and Darius Beckham have been elected to the office of the mayor and commissioner for terms ending January seventh, twenty twenty thirty.

At this time, I will present the certificates for review.

Okay.

Sure?

Okay, good.

So uh everybody else, we okay?

Okay.

Great.

Okay.

So uh uh according to the the visual inspection from my colleagues, we're okay, and everything seems to be up on the board uh as far as uh information is concerned.

So um I'd like to say maybe just a couple words.

Um I have this um thirty-five minute speech.

But I haven't memorized.

You know, I want to also just in terms of say just say um few short uh months ago.

We were here, uh, sure all of you here, uh not all of you, but some of you were here for the uh state of the city presentation that we gave.

And when I think about how much support that we've gotten from people in the city as well as staff carrying out the wishes that come from the the mayor and city commission.

Yeah, we were here talking about the challenges that we have as far as our city is concerned, and then the team that we have here behind me collectively talking about the work that we're doing, or that we're in the process of doing uh over the past year that reflected the progress that we have in the city.

I will say to you that there's probably no other honor except being uh a veteran in Vietnam that I express as being your mayor for the great city of Dayton, Ohio.

None.

And I will say to you that this team behind me and the inclusion of Darius Beckham will continue the great work that you have demanded of us, and that we'll continue to do everything to make Dayton the best place for someone to live, work play, be educated, raise a family, and grow old.

So again, yeah, thank you so much.

So now they will need more support than that.

I know so some of you maybe give a little jive uh uh applause, uh, going back on using the word and phrase from uh the late Dr.

Arthur E.

Thomas, if you applaud it and it was not loud enough, he said that was a jive applause.

You can do much better than that.

Because they are going to work hard for you.

There's a lot to be done.

There's a lot that we've accomplished.

Working with our business community, working with uh those in the neighborhoods, working with those at state and federal level, there is a lot of work to be done.

There are a lot of uncertain things that we have to deal with as well.

They will need your continued support, and as they put their shoulder to the wheel, if they put their shoulder to the wheel, we need you to put your shoulder to the wheel right with them and push just as hard in the same direction as they're doing to make Dayton the best place for someone to live, work, and play, and be educated, raise a family, grow old.

I thank you so much for your service.

Be great, be good, and I will see you on the other side.

Thank you so much.

I might have to do something else before I go down.

Bring her to the table.

I'm not finished yet.

So I was supposed to make sure that the orchestra came up next.

All right, so you guys are found to lead.

Thank you so much.

Thank you so much.

So, ladies and gentlemen, thank you for all for being here.

Might as well take this.

Thank you.

We've had a great break, uh, and we're just getting right back to it.

School actually doesn't even start till tomorrow, but uh, we have these wonderful musicians up here uh to perform uh for you uh from the again the Stiver School for the Arts Orchestra, which is the sole remaining string orchestra program in Dayton Public Schools, and we're looking forward to that access being promoted.

And the title of this piece of this uh the song, the selection that we'll be playing, uh, we hope will inspire our leaders here of the city.

Uh, and so congratulations to all of our incoming uh new officers and mayor.

And this piece is called A Spark of Courage.

Okay, Miss Black, maybe have the administration of the oath, please.

Yes, Your Honor.

The first oath will be administered to Mayor Elect Shanice Turner Sloss.

I am advi I am advised that Mayor Elect Turner Sloss wishes her oath to be administered by the Honorable Ryan McLynn, and accompanied by her husband, Dr.

Chad Sloss, children Bryce, Tristan, and Zoe Sloss, daughter of former Commissioner Idotha Bootsy Neo, Miss Erica Neal, and daughter of the former Commissioner Dean Loveless, Miss Leninia Lovelace Musa.

Would the would the honorable Ryan McLean, Mayor Turner, Mayor Elect Turner Sloss, Dr.

Chad Sloss, Bryce Tristan, Zoe Sloss, Miss Erica McNeil, and Miss Leninia Lovelace Musa approach the podium for the out of office?

Okay.

There we go.

I repeat after me.

I Shanish Turner Sloss.

I Shanice Turner Sloss.

Being first duly sworn.

Being first duly sworn.

Say that I will support the Constitution.

Say that I will support the Constitution.

And laws of the United States of America.

And laws of the United States of America.

And of the state of Ohio.

And of the state of Ohio.

The Charter.

The Charter.

Ordinances.

Ordinances.

And resolutions of the City of Dayton.

And resolutions of the City of Dayton.

And will well and will well and faithfully and faithfully and with fairness and impartiality.

And with fairness and impartiality, perform my duties.

Perform my duties.

Shall be chosen and qualified.

Congratulations.

If you would raise your right hands and repeat after me, please state your name after saying aye.

I Daryl Fairchild.

I, Daryl Fairchild.

Being first duly sworn, say that I will support the Constitution.

I think it's just repeated.

And laws of the United States of America.

And of the State of Ohio, the charter, ordinances, and resolutions of the City of Dayton, Ohio.

And will well and faithfully and with fairness and impartiality perform perform my duties as commissioner of the City of Dayton, Ohio for a term ending January seventh, twenty thirty, or until my successor shall be chosen and shall qualify.

I will the third oath will be administered to Darius Beckham.

I am advised that Commissioner Elect Beckham wishes his oath to be administered by Mr.

Tony Beckham.

Troy Beckham, I'm sorry, and is accompanied by Ms.

Mrs.

Dorothea Beckham and Miss Nina Wells.

If you would raise your right hand and repeat after me, please state your name after me saying I, Darius Beckham.

Being first duly sworn.

Being first duly sworn.

Say that I will support the Constitution.

Say that I will support the Constitution.

The laws of the United States of America.

The laws of the United States of America.

And of the state of Ohio.

And of the State of Ohio.

The Charter, Ordinance, and Resolutions.

The Charter, Ordinances, and Resolutions.

Of the City of Dayton.

Of the City of Dayton.

And will well and faithfully.

And will well and faithfully.

And with fairness and impartiality.

And with fairness and impartiality.

Perform my duties as commissioner.

Perform my duties as Commissioner.

Of the City of Dayton, Ohio.

Of the City of Dayton, Ohio.

For the term ending January the 7th, 2030.

For a term ending January 7, 2030.

Until my successor shall be chosen and shall qualify.

Or until my successor shall be chosen and shall qualify.

Congratulations, son.

We love you.

Mayor Turner Slaus, the Dayton City Commission is now officially installed.

Congratulations to you, Mayor Turner Slaus, Commissioner Fairchild, and Commissioner Beckham.

Thank you, Miss Blackshear.

At this time, I would invite comments from our colleagues from Commissioner.

Commissioner Joseph.

Thank you, Mayor.

I merely want to say congratulations to you all.

And I look forward to these next few years.

We have a lot of work ahead of us, and I'm looking forward to working together to solve a lot of these things that are happening.

So thank you very much.

Thank you, Commissioner Joseph.

Commissioner Shaw.

Thank you, Mayor, and thanks to all gathered here.

I do want to say uh quickly, because we didn't, I did not have an opportunity to say so at our last meeting, uh, how much I appreciate the service of former mayor memes.

You have truly been a blessing to this community, and we look forward to, I know the continued work that you will do in this community uh to help the citizens of the city of Dayton.

So I know you're not going anywhere.

Look forward to you playing a lot more golf, but uh I know that you're gonna still contribute to our community.

Secondly, I want to thank say thank you and congratulations to my colleagues, Commissioner.

It's really been a pleasure working with you all these years, and uh congratulations to you for for this election cycle and all the work that uh we know that we are gonna continue to do together.

Likewise, Commissioner Beckham.

New blood, new energy on this commission.

So excited to see it.

I look forward to the great work that I know that you are going to continue to do also and look forward to working with you as we move the city forward.

So, also to uh my friend, Mayor Shenise Turner Slaus.

It is uh such an honor and a blessing to sit here with you to see how you've grown and risen after all of these years.

I I remember you running around your grandmother's living room, and we all and we all knew that you were gonna do great things.

Um, so I'm just so uh pleased to be able to work with you and to witness your leadership firsthand.

So, congratulations to you.

Thank you, Commissioners.

At this time, I invite Commissioner Beckham for comments.

Thank you, Mayor Turner Slaus and uh my new colleagues.

I very much look forward to working with you all.

Uh and to everyone who is here tonight, I say good evening.

Uh before I go any further, uh, let me say, glory be to God.

Uh, for I know who orders my steps.

And to my family, thank you for your love, for your patience, for your belief in me long before anyone else.

Uh, to my volunteers, to my neighbors, to every person who took ownership of this work alongside me.

Thank you.

I also want to take a moment to recognize the core team who shouldered the daily weight of the campaign.

Uh, the people who were there for it all and never flinched, Jen Murphy, Michael McGovern, John Slaughser, Takora Hogue, Connor Hoing, Andre Dunikan, Selena Spearman, Jacob Burdick, Alicia Howie, and my brother himself, Devontae Beckham.

Thank you for your discipline, your loyalty, and your belief in what we're building.

Uh, to Mayor Jeffrey Mims, my friend, a mentor, thank you for your many years of service to this city.

I'm grateful for the opportunity to have served with you.

It is with deep gratitude and humility that I accept this privilege to now serve as a Dayton City Commissioner.

Tonight is both a new beginning and a moment of personal reflection.

For years, I've been asked the question why do you keep choosing Dayton?

And the truth is, I didn't stay out of convenience.

I stayed out of conviction.

My father planted the seeds early.

Growing up, he never seemed to stop talking about the Dayton of his youth.

A city full of pride, possibility, connection, and energy.

Long before I ever imagined holding public office, I was inspired by the love he carried for Dayton.

And as a student at the University of Dayton, my path led me to AmeriCorps, where I joined the city's community engagement division as a neighborhood organizer.

My intentions were simple: to listen, to learn, and to help wherever I could.

During that time, I met countless neighborhood leaders who were quietly fighting to better their neighborhoods, three of whom helped shape me during that experience.

Ms.

Gwynn Buchanan, Miss Sharon Mitchell, and Ms.

Rhonda Miller.

Not one of them could deny the problems in their neighborhoods, but they chose to take responsibility.

I was compelled by their conviction to better their peace of the world.

And in that season of my life, as a 22-year-old, still finding my way, I made a conscious decision to find my place in the work.

Eight years later, my journey has led me to this moment.

Deeply honored to stand here as a Dayton City Commissioner.

But I want to be very clear.

Getting here was not easy.

There were moments that tested me, moments that demanded clarity and resolve.

And in those moments, I came back to what I know to be true.

My belief in Dayton, rooted by my father's love for this city and reinforced by the people who show up every day committed to Dayton's future.

And I've learned over the years that the challenges we face in Dayton, public safety, housing, homelessness, opportunities for young people, these are not unique to us.

Every urban city in America is wrestling with these same issues.

So the question we have to ask ourselves is what makes us different.

The answer, I believe, is people.

People who choose connection, people who choose accountability and responsibility to one another and to the place we call home.

As Daytonians, we all know that when we walk out of our front doors, there's a high probability we're going to see a familiar face.

And whether we like it or not, we're just one or two degrees of separation apart.

So I believe that closeness is not a flaw.

It is one of our greatest strengths.

Our resilience, our creativity, our power are not found in things.

These values are found in people.

And I am not speaking in theory.

I come from a resilient family.

Two hardworking parents who stood here tonight.

They did everything in their power to raise my brothers and I with faith, love, and discipline.

They put in long hours, sometimes worked multiple jobs, but they never stopped fighting to lay a solid foundation.

And they did not do it alone.

We had neighbors, church members, mentors, family, and friends who stepped in when it mattered.

My parents might have laid the foundation, but this community helped build the house.

And in true Dayton fashion, even their story is rooted in our city's interconnectedness.

Troy and Dorita Beckham met at the old diner on East Fourth in St.

Clair.

A place where Daytonians from all walks of life gathered, crossed paths, and became a part of each other's stories.

And tonight, I want to honor someone who built a similar place.

Karen Wick.

My friend, my running mate, and the heart and vision behind Coco's Bistro.

She meant a great deal to me, and she meant a great deal to this city.

Karen loved Dayton deeply.

She poured herself into our community with a generosity and a clarity that made you believe more was possible.

Grief has a way of sharpening your vision.

It reminds you that time is short and that what we build with our time matters.

I'm standing here not just on the strength of my own effort, but on the shoulders of those who saw something in this city and in me.

From all of this, the loss, the love, the lessons, comes a clear sense of who we must become.

And becoming requires us not just to think about what we build, but why we build it.

Too often we are solely focused on projects, plans, and price tags.

But long before a city changes physically, it changes culturally.

As Winston Churchill said, we build our cities first with words and then with bricks.

If our words about Dayton are careless, cynical or dismissive, no amount of development will save us.

But if our words reflect belief, responsibility, and shared ownership, the bricks will follow.

That means the way we speak about our neighborhoods matters.

The way we talk about one another matters.

The culture we build together matters.

So Dayton, are we capable of more?

To answer that question, I believe we must remember who we are and where we've been.

Dayton is no stranger to adversity.

We've come through redlining, floods, factory closures, job losses, tornadoes, and violence that still continues to take far too many lives.

We know what it feels like to be counted out.

But with each trial, with each trial, we've we've emerged more resilient, more innovative, and more determined.

That innovative spirit, the same one that gave the world funk music and flight, it still lives here.

It still lives here.

It lives in our residents.

It lives in our young people.

It lives in our business owners.

It lives in our elders.

And it lives in every person we've ever lost that never stopped believing in what Dayton can be.

As your new commissioner, I will carry that spirit forward.

I'm committed to a Dayton where our streets are safe, stable, and cared for, where responsibility is shared across residents, property owners, and city hall.

A Dayton where businesses and exciting new jobs can thrive.

A Dayton where our young people have mentors, guidance, and adults who model what it means to show up with intention.

For the future of our city will be built on the talent we nurture, not just the buildings we built.

So this work will take all of us.

For progress comes from partnership, from a community willing to roll up its sleeves and raise its expectations.

Tonight, I have taken this oath not as a politician, but as a son and a servant of Dayton.

This is our moment.

This is our work, and together we will shine the Gym City.

Not by wishing for change, but by committing to it daily.

So let's rise together.

Thank you.

God bless, and may God bless the Gym City.

Thank you, Commissioner Beckham.

At this time, I invite Commissioner Fairchild.

In the early morning, I like to make my way to Sunrise Park along Edwin C.

Moses Boulevard.

From the park, you can watch, as the name suggests, the sunrise.

I enjoy the view because you look up the great Miami River toward the confluence.

It fills me with gratitude and it puts me in a reflective mood.

I ponder about the challenges we face as a city, knowing that in 1913, the abundance, turbulence, and power of the river would break the levee, leaving destruction in its path.

I ponder about our resilience, whether in 1913 or 2019.

I marvel at our ability to come together and solve complex problems.

We are gritty.

The day is filled with new possibilities, and I know the future will be determined by the boldness of our leaders.

Like the sunrise, this swearing-in ceremony tonight is one of gratitude, reflection, and hope.

Thank you, everyone.

Mayor, mayor, all the mayors, fellow commissioners, family, friends, and most importantly, members of the Dayton community.

Thank you for being here tonight.

It is a true honor to be here.

I am humbly, I am humbled and deeply grateful for the trust you have placed in me once again as your Dayton City Commissioner.

Thank you to our Dayton Public School students, our Color Guard students, members from Meadowdale High School, and our musicians from Stuvers High School.

I'm grateful for my family.

For Kim and from Maya, for your support, for your patience when I'm exhausted and irritable, for your encouragement, and uh for sharing and your generosity, for sharing me with all of you and the city I love.

I'm grateful for my neighbors, for those in Belmont where I grew up, for those in the triangle where I live now, and for all those in places in between.

Thank you for your support, your encouragement, your criticism, and for your commitment to our city.

I'm grateful to all of our supporters.

Thank you for your time, your donations.

Thank you for sharing your stories with me.

In the middle of living rooms and for our house parties, for knocking doors with me, and for believing in our shared vision.

I'm grateful for those who came before me, community leaders, faith partners, and fellow public servants who taught me that service is not just a job, but a calling.

Thank you for your example and your service.

I'm grateful for Mayor Jeffrey Mims.

While I was not a student or a player of his, I had friends who were soccer players and got to know him then.

But I really got to know him later when our paths crossed the Dayton Children's Hospital and you were working in the superintendent's office in a tragic moment.

At that time, I saw your commitment and compassion for our students.

Then I saw you in leadership as a school board member, as a president of the school board, a member of the state school board, as a commissioner, and then mayor.

There is no doubt that you love this city, and that you are committed to mentoring young people, and that we share many values together.

Thank you for your service, and I look forward to what you do next and look finding ways for us to work on mutual hopes.

Thank you.

I'm grateful for my newest colleague, Commissioner Darius Beckham.

Congratulations.

Thank you for stepping forward and offering yourself for service to our community.

I look forward to working with you.

Jacob joined me and Mayor Shanice Turner Sloss and our campaign team.

It was inspiring to see you cast vision, explain the intricacies of policy and issues, build relationships, and demonstrate your leadership.

You encourage us to stop racing to know, and you inspire us to dream big.

Thank you, Jacob.

And I'm grateful for Mayor Shanice Turner Sloss.

And now it's time to fasten our seatbelts, prepare to depart, and to fly.

Tonight is also a night of reflection.

To ponder and wonder what we can be.

As I reflect, I gravitate to our values, our collective City of Dayton values, a commitment to excellence, respect, integrity, and accountability, and my personal values rooted in my Christian faith and defined by agape love.

Committed to excellence, what a demanding value.

It should convict us.

For we all can recite places where our city is not excellent, so we must do better.

My priorities for doing better remain removed remain rooted in what you, our residents, have told me you care about most.

I have heard you clearly, whether from neighbors in the living room of one of our house parties, from downtown business leaders, from small business owners, or from vulnerable members in our community.

Dayton needs to be safer.

It is time to comprehensively reimagine public safety.

I'm mindful of the words of our chief, Cameron Afsell, who consistently reminds us that the issues we face are broader than what our police department can address.

Public safety is more than enforcement.

It's building trust, creating community, engaging our youth, and ensuring that all parts of our city are connected through opportunity, through services, and through a shared commitment to peace.

You may have heard about the work of Congressman Mike Turner and other members of Downtown Safety Working Group.

I welcome their desire to make downtown safe, and I look forward to working with them.

Their work will be a key component of reimagining public safety.

And I want to reassure members of the community who would like to see an end to pitting downtown against our neighborhoods and vice versa.

And would you like to see an end to divisiveness on the commission?

I believe everyone understands that reimagining public safety needs to be comprehensive.

I will work with Mayor Turner Sloss, my fellow commissioners, and the scene manager to create a parallel working group for safety in our residential neighborhoods.

It will be both and, not either or.

Kids need places to go, things to do, and people that care in their lives.

I will work to make sure this happens.

This policy work will be important, but there is work that we need to do that prefaces all our policy development and delivery of services, and is rooted in our city value of respect.

Jesus teaches me that I will be judged by how I treat the least of these.

Jesus also commands me that I am to love my neighbor as myself.

This is a requirement to be compassionate.

Today, this is the true attack on Christianity.

It's an attack on our value of compassion and empathy.

We have to be honest.

The most vulnerable are being targeted.

Children who are transgendered, neighbors who are immigrant, people who are poor.

In the face of unfettered cruelty, I will be an ambassador for compassion and kindness and an advocate to create a city that is just and safe for all.

No longer can we accept the scapegoating of our most vulnerable neighbors.

We can do better as a nation, and it starts here at home.

At the local level, we must live into our value of respect.

We must make sure all our neighbors are respected and create a community that values all.

Here is one example.

We will improve home ownership by one percent each year so that we move from 48% till we reach the national average of 65%.

That's a 17-year project.

How will people know if we are doing what we say we are doing?

Metrics like this one will be our yardstick.

How will people know if our decisions are bringing impactful outcomes?

These metrics will be our validation.

I don't know what the four to six metrics should be, but together we do.

Finally, tonight is about hope.

Not only does our value of commitment to excellence convict us, it also compels us.

For tonight, this year, the next four terms are filled with possibilities.

But know that none of our lofty goals happen without you.

You, the people.

Be grateful, reflect, and be filled with hope.

Join our neighborhood planning process, participate in our youth work at groups.

Come to the commission with your ideas, your dreams, and your critiques.

Demand participate participatory budgeting and our other forms of engagement, like the old priority board model.

Together we will build a city where every block is cared for to every child is seen and every person is safe.

As I step into this new term, I carry with me not just the lessons of the past, but a renewed determination for the future.

Dayton is a city of potential, of hope, of resilience, of pride, and I believe deeply that our best days are ahead.

Let us recommit today to excellence, to respect, to integrity, and to accountability.

Let us build homes not just of brick and mortar, but of belonging and pride in our community.

Let us shape a Dayton where our youth grow grow strong, our neighborhoods flourish, and safety is a right, not a privilege.

Thank you.

Thank you for entrusting me with this responsibility.

I look forward to working with Mayor Turner Sloss, Commissioners Joseph, Shawl, and Beckham with City Manager Dickstein.

Dayton, I am honored to continue serving as your city commissioner.

May we move Dayton forward together?

Thank you, Commissioner Fairchild.

Look at this room.

You got to take this moment in.

To God be the glory.

Thank you, Lord, for this moment.

Good evening, distinguished guests, elected officials, faith, community, city leaders, and the people of great great Jim City.

Thank you for being here this evening.

I am truly humbled and grateful for this opportunity.

This evening, we are not here just to celebrate another chapter in Dayton's history, but to reaffirm our shared vision for Dayton, a city that can be just, prosperous, and safe.

But first, I must thank my Lord and Savior for granting me the spiritual capacity to serve.

My daily prayer is for a discerning heart.

As I work to administer justice to the people of Dayton, I would also like to ask that you please indulge me for a moment.

There are a number of people that I must thank this evening for standing with me over the number of years.

First, I would like to thank my husband, Dr.

Chad Sloss, our children, Tristan Bryce and Zoe for sustaining me.

I also want to thank my parents, an immediate and extended family.

I will ask for my entire family and close friends to please stand if you're able.

Come on, don't be shy.

Stand.

Ah, that Crinsaman Cream.

Thank you all for your support, love, and encouragement.

I will also like to take a moment to acknowledge the legacy and service of those who served in the seat of mayor before me.

This work is sacred.

Would all of the former mayors of Dayton please stand.

Everyone, please join me in a round of applause.

Thank you for your service.

And also thank you to the members and leadership of my home church, New Prospect Baptist Church, and new prospect in the house.

And my family church, Mount Enam Baptist Church, and Bethel Pentecostal Church.

Thank you for all of your prayers and your spiritual guidance.

Thank you to the City of Dayton organization.

To the people who show up daily to execute the day-to-day functions of the city from street maintenance, building services, the water department to our Dayton International Airport.

Thank you for serving the people of Dayton.

Stand up, you all.

Come on, Ms.

Jackson, stand up, please.

Ms.

Blackshare, and to the entire staff.

To the Dayton Public Affairs Department, the Dayton Police Department, Honor Guard, Dayton Public Schools, Stuber School for the Arts, Orchestra, Meadowdale High School Color Guard for your willingness to participate in this evening's ceremony.

I will also like to thank the Crocs Center for its staff and for your warm welcoming and hospitality and the great programming that they provide to the City of Dayton.

This evening, I stand before you as a living continuation of a city that has known struggle, yet has advanced through resilience, resolve, and collective courage.

I represent not only a new chapter for Dayton, but the enduring spirit that has carried the city forward, even in the most difficult seasons.

I do not stand here alone.

I stand on the shoulders of fairless, excuse me, community leaders who believe unapologetically that Dayton truly is a gem, and that its brilliance must shine for everyone.

I stand on the shoulders of those who have labored long before this moment, many of whom are no longer here to witness the progress their work has made over the years.

This moment did not begin on Tuesday, November the 4th, 2025.

It began in the hearts, the minds, and the sacrifices of those whose presence remained with us in spirit.

It is in that truth that I offer my deepest homage.

This evening, I honor the legacy of commissioners, Idotha Boosey Neal, my dear friend and mentor, along with Dean Lovelace, Abner Orr, Mr.

John Wallace, Miss Carolyn Perkins, Dayton Public Schools Board Member Miss Karen Wick, Ms.

Vita Wakeshaw, Miss Marguerite Walker, Miss Yavon Shearer, Mr.

Richard Writer, and Miss Candace Ford.

Their courage shaped the city's conscience, and their work continues to guide our paths.

I also want to extend sincere gratitude to those who continue this work today and who have lended their support, their invaluable support.

The Honorable Senator Nina Turner, Representative Desiree Timms, Mayor Ryan McGlenn, County Commissioner Mary McDonald, Dayton Commissioner Durrell Fairchild, Akron City Council Member, Councilwoman, excuse me, Tara Mosley Samples, Dr.

Connie Milson, and she told me to mention that.

She is in fact my mentor, and she wanted everybody to know that.

And Miss Creola Reese.

And last but certainly not least, Attorney Jacob Davis.

Your leadership affirms that progress is not accidental.

It is stewarded.

This evening I stand as both a reflection of that legacy and a commitment to carry it forward.

I extend my sincere thanks to Triumph.

Antoinette, Brian, and Calvin, Heartland Next, The Next Wave, Blue Pear, to my campaign manager, if you hear, please stand, Bethany Ramsey and family, and to my deputy campaign managers, Kaylin Tiggs and Eric Moyer.

I ask that our core campaign and transition team to please stand.

Stand up.

To my Union Brothers and Sisters of IUECWA.

The Teamsters Local 957, and the National Association of Social Workers.

Thank you.

And to the hundreds, and I do mean hundreds of volunteers, supporters, and contributors who gave their time, their energy, and their resources.

Your commitment was more than support for a campaign.

It was an investment in this community and in the future we are building together.

Today, history is not only being made, it is begging us to lean forward.

It is nudging us to shape a better future together, to strongly commit to justice, to guide us in intentional working for peace, dignity, and humanity.

And on November the 4th, Dayton made a clear choice, a choice for new generational leadership.

And I do not take this assignment lightly.

Because of these experiences, I understand this clearly.

Dayton does not need to be rescued.

It requires disciplined leadership and honest assessment and the political will to correct structural inequities that have limited opportunity for too many residents.

Our charge is not to erase the past, but to address its consequences through fair housing, inclusive economic development, accountable public safety, and residence-centered governance.

This is how we clear a credible path forward.

This is how Dayton fulfills its promise.

So on this day of new beginnings, the era of doing business in the city of Dayton as usual, it ends today.

We will no longer accept systems that function well on paper, but fail people in practice.

We will no longer accept decisions without meaningful input.

And we will no longer confuse stability with progress.

This administration will not govern behind closed doors.

We will govern in the open, as my colleague said, with clarity.

Ain't that right, Commissioner?

Clarity, courage, and with the people at the center.

We will deliver a high level of service and efficiency, meeting and exceeding the overall expectations of Dayton residents, stakeholders, and businesses.

Now let me be very clear this evening.

No mayor or commissioner, no matter how prepared, how committed, can govern single-handedly.

As mayor, I will work diligently with each of the commission members to uplift their priorities in the realms of serving the people in our communities.

Commissioner Joseph's tireless commitment to sustainability and supporting and honoring our immigrants.

Thank you for your service, Commissioner.

Commissioner Shaw's focus, experience, and workforce and economic development.

Commissioner Fairchild's unwavering dedication to our youth and neighborhoods, and newly elected Commissioner Beckham's tenacity to reimagine public safety.

All of these priorities and interests are all encompassing of what makes a successful and thriving city.

My colleagues and I are well rested, charged, and ready to work together.

We understand that the national stage challenges and complexities of how we get things accomplished in Dayton may be slightly different from past practices.

However, I am confident from what I have witnessed personally, that Daytonians know how to band together and tragedy, loss, and in triumph.

Now is our moment to rewrite the narrative that Dayton is not.

This is when you all have participation.

Dayton is not, and I want you to fill in the blank.

Together we are creating a new story where we will each have a critical role to play in our neighborhoods, our schools, our workplaces, businesses, and homes.

Now I believe in collective power, and I know that power does not live in a title.

Power lives in numbers and within participation.

Power lives in neighborhoods that show up, and people who claim a stake in the city and refuse to be silent, and people who understand that democracy is not a spectator sport.

This is a line from my middle son Tristan.

When the people are striving, the city is what, Tristan?

Thrive.

So today I offer Dayton not a list of promises, but a great governing framework, a plan not built on slogans, but on structure, not on hope alone, but on execution.

We will call this transition the Dayton Flight Plan.

Because this city would not drift into its future.

We would take off with intention.

Our first runway is resident centered governance.

Policy does not live strictly on paper.

It is implementation of the practice.

These are the decisions that meet each and every one of us at our front door.

Our commitment is clear.

We will stabilize neighborhoods without displacing families.

We will move vacant and underutilized properties into productive use.

We will expand partnerships to address homelessness through pathways to housing and stability, not punishment.

We will incentivize developers to build and preserve affordable housing, and we will protect tenants from predatory practices.

Equally important, we will stop asking residents to adopt to systems that were no longer designed with them in mind.

We will prioritize neighborhoods while strengthening our economic hub downtown, making targeted investments and applying smart protections that demonstrate a healthy sustainable balance.

How will we do this?

You may ask?

By establishing a housing trust fund anchored by committed partners who understand that our collective mission is to grow the city of Dayton, reverse decline, and ensure that Dayton is a safe and stable place for everyone.

In Dayton, live experiences will no longer be an afterthought.

It will be embedded as a governing principle in a permanent fixture of how we lead.

Now runway two.

Reimagining public safety, housing insecurity, mental health crisis, and youth trauma will be met with coordinated care, so crises do not become crimes, and safety is shared by everyone in the city.

Let me be clear.

Safety is prevention.

Safety begins with stable housing.

It is strengthened through job creation, an inclusive economic development.

It requires accessible behavior health care.

It depends on early humane intervention and real opportunity.

Safety means honoring and protecting our neighbors in every part of the city in all 65 neighborhoods.

Regardless of your income, your race, your religion, your identity, or who you love.

Safety is what, Ms.

Campbell, a human right.

We will realign public safety around prevention, accountability, and dignity.

We will partner with social service agencies to support residents experiencing homelessness, unemployment, substance abuse, or mental health crisis, allowing our law enforcement to focus on their responsibilities that they are trained and entrusted to carry out.

We will make the Cure Violence Interruption Program a permanent line item in our city's budget.

But hear me clearly.

But rest assured, for those who choose to participate in illegal activity, you will be held accountable.

The partnership with the governor's office in enhancement and technology to reduce the number of violent crimes will be utilized to its fullest extent.

But it is incumbent upon all of us that it is utilized humanely.

Collectively, we can change Dayton for the better to improve the quality of life and to attract development that we all want in our communities.

Our third runway is building stronger business relationships for community and economic development.

Because a city cannot rise if opportunity is imprisoned by bureaucracy, favoritism, or fear of change.

We will cut barriers that make no sense.

We will open doors that have been closed for too long.

And we will make it easier to build hire and grow right here in the city of Dayton.

Success in this city will no longer depend on who you know.

It would depend on your human capital, your level of engagement, and what you're willing to build.

We know that accurate, timely and efficient building services are vital to community and economic development.

Therefore, I am proud to share that just last week, under the leadership of Mayor Mims, the commission approved a service agreement for additional support for the city's ongoing permitting and inspection service delivery for high quality service plans for review and inspections while meeting schedules, budget, and the expectations of city stakeholders.

This effort will afford smaller scale projects to receive permitting within a week and larger scale projects to receive permitting within 30 days or less.

Thank you, Ms.

Dixteen, for your leadership on this.

This is just one example, and we will continue to strift in our relationships with the business community by establishing a business advisory advisory committee.

Let me be unequivocally clear.

This administration will be defined not just by outcomes, but by values.

We will govern with transparency.

We will measure what matters.

We would tell the truth even when it's uncomfortable.

And we will, of course, correct when the people demand better.

This is people centered governance, not simply a phrase, but an implement implemented practice.

Every generation is given a moment that asks a question.

Our question is this.

Stay engaged when the meetings get long, stay present when the votes are tight, stay vocal when progress is challenged.

My responsibility as mayor is to serve the public by revitalizing our culture, building systems and institutional practices that endure beyond my tenure.

This administration is not defined by a single term or an individual.

It is grounded in transparent processes, shared decision making, and meaningful constituent participation.

So progress is not contingent upon who occupies the seat.

When residents are embedded in governance, progress becomes durable.

This is the obligation of leadership to ensure that people, not personalities remain constant in Dayton's advancement.

Dayton, this isn't just inauguration.

This is an alignment.

You heard the runways, now the call to action.

I urge you to get involved, stay involved, join one of the three advisory committees, people centered governance, reimagine public safety, and the business advisory committee.

For more information, this will be available through the Dayton City Commissioner Office.

From this day forward, we will now lean in and do the work collectively together.

Thank you all for attending this evening.

At this moment, would you all please stand for the benediction?

I call upon Mr.

Monty Bush, founder and CEO of the Victory Project for the Benediction.

Mr.

Monty Bush, would you please join us?

Good evening and thank you.

Please bow your heads as we close in prayer.

Gracious and living God, we gather with gratitude as we inaugurate our city leaders, Mayor Shanice Turner Sloss and Commissioners Darrell Fairchild and Darius Beckham.

We thank you for the trust placed in them and for their calling to serve the common good of Dayton.

Grant them wisdom, discernment, and integrity.

Guide their decisions towards justice, mercy, and the protection of the vulnerable.

Give them courage to lead with conviction in difficult moments.

Humility to listen to and listen well and perseverance when progress feels slow.

Cover them and their families with your protection.

Surround them with wise counsel, gall the dark guard their hearts, and sustain them with your peace of amid demands of public service.

We pray for unity among all who serve this city, working together to foster safer neighborhoods, opportunity, and just governance for all residents.

Remind us all that true leadership is found in service as Scripture teaches us.

Whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant.

In the name of Christ I pray.

Amen.

There is none, Your Honor.

With no further business to come before us this body, this meeting is adjourned.