Good evening.

And welcome to the December second, twenty twenty five meeting of the Greensboro City Council.

I do need a motion to excuse um Mrs.

Hightower, Mr.

McKinney, and Miss Pinder.

Okay.

Moved by um Mrs.

Hoffman, seconded by Mayor Pro Tem.

All in favor say aye.

Um, we are in the Katie Georgette Council Chamber.

Um, we will begin tonight's meeting with a moment of silence.

I look forward to the great things they do in the coming years.

And for that, I want to say congratulations to all of you.

Um, they're going to change the name plates out, and then the new council will um take their seats.

Um we're out.

Good evening.

First, I would like to take a few moments and have Judge William A.

Wood to please come to the front and say a few words.

But these folks who are going to swear in tonight have committed to even try to make it a better place going forward.

And that's uh that's kind of their mission and what they got elected on.

Uh the first, we're going to get the ball rolling by swearing in, Judge, excuse me, um, Mayor Mary Kay Abiswaiter.

I demoted her to judge, but uh, but in any event, we're going to swear her in first, and as all of you know, I'm sure Mary Kay's got a long history of uh service to the community, both as a business owner and also being on the uh city council for many many years.

And uh the one person who's probably more thrilled that the campaign is over, is probably her husband Issa, because every morning I would pull into the I would pull into the courthouse uh to start my day's business early in the morning, and there would be Issa out there at the early voting poll uh shaking down votes out there by whoever whoever would listen to him, and that would be rain or shine.

So I'm sure Issa uh is uh is thrilled that uh this had the outcome that it did, and um that uh you can now move forward with Mary Kerry as the mayor.

So with that being said, uh they've got a large task ahead of them for a town the size of Greensboro, but we're gonna go on and uh get Mary Kay Abba's Wader, the mayor elect.

We're gonna get her sworn in as mayor right now.

And um here we have a vote to other God and give us my voice and following the two that I will support the Constitution of the United States, that I will be faithful as there are two of these stages there's constitutional powers and authority and make it established for the vote thereof that I will be okay to support the name has to defend the Constitution and laws of the City State, not inconsistent with the Constitution of the United States to protect my law of the majority, and that I will thankfully discharge the duties of the office of the city of Prince Bournemouth, so help me God.

I will congratulate next we'll have the administration of the oath of office for councilmember Timmy Therm, District 5.

By the honorable Judge William A.

Wood.

I feel third and followed in the sweater that I support the Constitution and laws of the United States, that I would be faithful and there are two reasons to the state or Carolina and the Constitutional House and authorities may be established for the government thereof that I will endeavor to support, maintain, and defend the Constitution and laws of said state.

I didn't insist that the Constitution of the United States, the best of my knowledge and ability, and that I will faithfully discharge the duties of my office as a member of the City Council of the City Approach Club, so that we've got you.

Next we'll have the administration of the oath of office for councilmember Hugh Holston at large by the honorable retired judge Paul L.

Jones.

All right, you don't have a redo.

I you host me to follow me and consumer swear that I will support the Constitution of all of the United States, that I will be faithful to very coolly more provided, and to the Constitutional Power and Authorities, which are or maybe establish the government thereof.

And I want to be able to support maintain again the Constitution and all the state.

I will.

Congratulations.

Now we would like to have some remarks.

Mayor Boothwaiter, would you start us off?

Thank you.

We will have our incumbents say a few words before we rotate out and give the others room to come in.

I stand before you today.

Well, I'm sitting right now, but I stand before you.

Things take time.

From the very beginning, my campaign was not about policy, or those who made campaign promises.

You heard me many, many times.

My philosophy is to build relationships.

My philosophy has always been to build relationships.

And that is what I want to continue to do on this council.

For every single new council person, I am there for you.

I am there to make sure that you know the things that have gone on before on this council previous.

How did we get here?

How did Greensboro get to this point?

Sometimes it takes 10-15 years, but we are at that point.

And this new council can take us above and beyond.

That is my goal, and that is my wish.

Building those relationships is something that we need to do not only with ourselves, but also with our community.

So to my family, my team, my volunteers, and every person who helped lift me up, guide me, inspire me, and you did it with heart and determination, and that's what I want to do for you.