We need these things on.

Need this on.

Gotta call this meeting in order at 2 p.m.

Um, and as you said earlier before the meeting started, I have to echo your sentiments, uh, council member um for Carol and Andrew, they are the lifeblood that keeps us looking good.

But if not for the people that are making sure we all the trains run on time, we would not be able to do this.

So we don't say it enough.

Thank you, thank you, thank you both.

No doubt, no doubt.

And you said it, sorry.

We are we are so blessed to have you two with us.

Absolutely.

So um little introductions.

Um, everybody, my name is Chris Miller.

Um the at large uh group five city councilmen, and Rockman Johnson, District 14.

And this meeting, um, both, as we well know, Chris and I are both candidates for council vice president, and I could not be more honored to be in this space with somebody of your leadership caliber.

Um, I you know, had a lot of calls, people saying, hey, as a Democrat or as a minority on the council, you know, with the super majority Republicans, that I stepped up, but it's not just about a party affiliation, it's it's about making sure, as you said in your remarks, moving this council forward.

And so I think all four of us who are in this race really do have a firm desire to want to move the council forward.

So I gotta say thank you, as I said in my remarks, and as you did too, I am so appreciative, and I said it last night.

All of us, we're a family on this council.

We may not always agree on how to get to the place, but we agree that we need to move to the place.

So thank you for your leadership in the past and being in this space.

Well, I appreciate I appreciate that, and thank you for um for being in this race.

And I said that during your leadership meeting, and I and I really meant it.

Um, for the folks, the two of us and the other two who have stepped forward, uh, I agree with you.

They do, we all care about our city, or otherwise we wouldn't be running for vice president.

And so regardless of how this works out, turns out, if we can embrace that that real concept of being family, and instead of forming little factions or subfactions or um, you know, and I mean we may get into this in our conversation, and I'll have to be careful.

Uh, my wife would like to be here and tell me to not share so much, but uh, I tend to just open up uh sometimes, maybe more than I should, but that's the way it should be.

We shouldn't, it's like when I was in the military.

Did I ever ask anyone, officer enlisted, warrant, civilians, did I ever ask any of them what party they were in?

No, we never even talked about it.

Right.

I mean, for over 30 years, I never talked about politics.

It was about working together as a team, and some of those were close to being family relationships because you were so close and you would do anything for each other.

And in our case, we should be willing to do anything to move our city forward and do whatever's best for our city.

There, there's an almost every situation a best way forward if we're willing to listen to each other, learn from each other, and tap in to the expertise, the education, the desire, and the way God's wired each one of us differently to tap into that and say, how do we best utilize and capitalize on what each one of us brings to the table to this city council family?

If we can break that code going forward, this city can be in an amazing place leadership-wise.

We need each other.

We and I I think you said it right.

It's like the what is it, the hip bones connected to the thigh bone or that that old thing.

But God does have us.

I'm glad you brought that up that God has us in this way that we are, you know.

To me, I am, while I you know know how to manage a checkbook, I am certainly not uh Will Lane, right?

Who I adore.

Um, if there are financial things that are going on, especially when it comes to big dollar amounts and stuff that's far down the future, I am so fortunate.

I don't know who they had on past councils.

I can't even think if they had a Will Lennon like person on past councils.

But Will is really, really wickedly smart at that kind of stuff.

We are so fortunate to have him and have you with your 30 years of leadership and having Terrence with his you know pro sports as well as nonprofit background and Kevin, I mean, all the people that we have in there versus if that's what this is supposed to be about.

Not about Democrats are over here, Republicans are over here, neither of the twins shall meet, and and we're not dependent on one or the other.

You know, one thing I appreciate about you too, that not just one thing, but one of the many things is I know a lot of times I will do, and I know you do this too, when we're doing legislation, you will request co-introducers, you'll send it out and have co-introducers come in because it's not about, hey, look at what I did, but it's hey, I I did this, but let's get together and work on this.

And I do the same thing, and unfortunately, sometimes I will see some folk will say, Well, this is my piece of legislation, and you can co-sponsor it, but I'm introducing it.

And and I don't even because let's be honest, how many people really read the introduced by thing and say, is this the introducer or not?

I just, you know, so I I think you have the right idea.

Well, thank you, and that was a good reminder because I don't always think about that.

Sometimes I can get in the middle of let's get this done, let's get it through so we can enact it.

Um, that that that's a good reminder.

But you do it.

You there should be, you know, there are I could do that a little bit more.

I but you're intentional.

I will say that Chris, I that's one of the many things I appreciate about you, and and in fact, not withstanding the fact that Shar makes some amazing food.