Greenville City Council Installation Ceremony - December 8, 2025
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Greenville City Council Installation Ceremony - December 8, 2025
On December 8, 2025, at 5:30 PM, the Greenville City Council held its installation ceremony in the City Council Chambers. Mayor P.J. Connelly presided over the meeting, which included the invocation, presentation of colors, Pledge of Allegiance, certification of election results, administration of oaths to newly elected officials, election of the Mayor Pro-Tem, and an opening address by the Mayor.
Oath of Office
- Judge Mario E. Perez administered the oath of office to Mayor-Elect P.J. Connelly and to Council Members-Elect Portia Willis (At-Large), Arjenae Jones (District 1), Tonya Foreman (District 2), Seth Hardee (District 3), Matthew Scully (District 4), and Les Robinson (District 5).
Election of Mayor Pro-Tem
- Council Member Arjenae Jones nominated Council Member Tonya Foreman for Mayor Pro-Tem. The motion was unanimously approved by a vote of 6-0.
Opening Address by Mayor P.J. Connelly
- Mayor Connelly highlighted city accomplishments over the past two years, including:
- Completion of a $48 million build grant project improving key corridors and connectivity.
- Increase in annual street spending from a few hundred thousand dollars to nearly $4 million, with $7.98 million spent on 184 streets over two years.
- Progress in stormwater infrastructure through creative use of funds and grants.
- Economic development successes: Bovian Solar and NIPRO chose Greenville; expansions at Atens and UNX.
- Affordable housing initiatives, including a public-private partnership with Taft Mills Group and the launch of the "50 and 10" housing initiative aimed at building 50 affordable housing units over ten years.
- Park improvements at Wildwood Park, Town Common Bulkhead project, and a lease agreement with ECU for the North Campus sports complex.
- Reduction in violent and property crimes through police-community partnerships, and improvements in traffic safety and fire/rescue shift schedules.
Key Outcomes
- The new council members were sworn in.
- Council Member Tonya Foreman was elected Mayor Pro-Tem (vote 6-0).
- The meeting was adjourned unanimously (6-0) following a motion by Council Member Scully and a second by Mayor Pro-Tem Foreman.
Meeting Transcript
I think this may actually be the fastest. All right, good evening. I'd like to call the December eighth, two thousand twenty-five, uh, installation ceremony of the Great City Council Order. I'm Mayor P. J. Connelly. I'll be presiding over tonight's meeting. First, I'd like to call on Pastor Ann Aaron Kennedy from Open Door Church for the invocation, followed by the presentation of the colours by the Greenville Fire and Rescue. Thank you for the invitation to be here. Let's pray. I invite everyone to pray with me. We're instructed in Scripture to pray for our leaders, so let's pray it up tonight. Father, we're just so grateful tonight that we live in this amazing community. So grateful for the leaders, Lord, that I even believe that you have chosen your word teaches us that Father, you're the one who puts authority in place. Father, this is an amazing place. We pray for our leaders, our officers, our law enforcement. God, our firefighters, our public service. God, you've given us this amazing place, and may we steward it will. Oh you see the tons of lights once so we have the twilight last meaning. Who's brought strikes and right stones through the panel's eyes or what we watched was on the streaming track of through flight was still there. Oh saying gold three and the same. Yeah. All right, next I would like to I would like to invite Mia Mia M. Coates, Mary Kay Connolly, Caroline Connolly, Yazir Robinson, Emmy Scully, Ireland Scully, Anna Grace Scully, Aliyah M. Telfair, Emma White, Kennedy Willis, and Michaela Willis to lead us in the Pledge of Allegiance. Very nicely done. I just realized we didn't have any any boys in that group. All right. I'll now hand it over to our city manager for the Board of Elections certifications. Thank you, Mayor. Based off the certified election results provided by the Pitt County Board of Elections for the municipal election held on November fourth of two thousand twenty-five. The following candidates received the highest number of votes. And District Five Representative Les Robinson. Now at this time, I would like to call forward the honorable judge Mario E. Perez to provide the oath of office to the mayor elect Connolly. And would I like to also invite Mayor Leck Connolly and his family to come forward for the oath of office? Oh, one second. Mayor Representative one moment. I want to thank the Mayor Electric Conley, the City of Greenville staff for inviting me tonight to administer the oath of office to not only the mayor elect, but all the members elect. When I think about the intelligence, to me, it underscores the greatness of our democracy. These newly elected members are representing not only the districts, but all of us here in Greenwill. Their decisions affect all our lives, and I know it will follow the law, not only of the United States, but of North Carolina. And I wish to all God speed. I want to thank everyone for coming out tonight too. Yes. All right. With all that, please raise your right hand, left hand of the Bible. Do you, PJ Connolly, solemnly swear that you will support and maintain the Constitution and laws of the United States and the Constitution and Laws of North Carolina not inconsistent therewith, and that you will faithfully discharge the duties of your office as mayor. If so, say so help me God. So help me God.
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