Yeah, there you go.

The mic's on.

Good evening, everybody.

On behalf of uh Mayor Hall for another five hours or six hours and twenty-five minutes.

Um he's stuck in route somewhere, so I'm uh the impromptu MC uh for this evening.

Just a kind of quick run of show.

Um we're gonna have uh counselor uh Weimer, Mayor Elect Weimer, soon to be mayor at eleven fifty-nine or twelve PM uh this evening, mayor of Rio Rancho uh swearing in.

Uh he'll make some remarks.

We have a reception this evening.

We'd like would like to thank everyone for being here.

Uh, would like to recognize uh Councillor Weimer's uh fellow governing body members.

Um it's kind of hard to see them in the in the room, but I'm looking at a gentleman with a fine hairdo in the back.

Counselor uh Bob Tyler, would you please raise your hand?

Thank you very much.

Yes.

We we we planned accordingly.

Um we planned accordingly, so um Councillor Nicole List with her family here.

Counselor Chris O Colbreth, who I just uh told her a story that my son uh has a new girlfriend who is getting a PhD in her field of specialty, so uh um she'll be doing some translation for me here before before too long.

Uh Councillor Dabson and also like to acknowledge uh Counselor Lenantine.

Um I'm sure uh he's probably he may be riding in the same car with uh with with the former mayor or right behind him, so be here in a few minutes.

Uh would also like to uh recognize uh we have Representative Josh Hernandez of District 60 I saw Commissioner Juarez from San Diego County in the back and four I think uh former chair of uh Sandoval County, uh Dave Heil, somewhere in the room.

Thank you very much.

It is uh now I know what teachers go through in classrooms.

It's very hard to to see people.

Um with that, uh thank you once again, and I will uh like to hand it on over.

Thank you.

Well, that is working.

Thank you, City Manager Geisel.

Uh Counselor Weimer Marilette Weimer.

I have um uh we'll have to kind of share this mic so that we can make sure everybody can hear us, but um if you can you'll need to put your hand on the Bible, your left hand, please raise your right hand.

Maybe we should swap sides.

This is getting more awkward by the moment.

I agree.

I didn't know we'd get to dance.

That sounds great.

Okay.

Now you know you're gonna have to help me remember the words because I do really bad at this time.

Yes.

You'll just speak into the mic and see you.

I Paul Weimer.

I Paul Weimer.

Having been duly elected.

Having been duly elected.

To the office of mayor to the office of mayor of the city of Rio Rancho.

Of the city of Rio Rancho.

Do solemnly swear.

That I will uphold the Constitution.

That I will uphold the Constitution.

And laws of the United States.

The Constitution and Laws.

The Constitution and Laws.

The Charter and Laws of the Charter and Laws of the City of Rio Rancho.

The City of Rio Rancho.

And we'll faithfully and impartially discharge impartially discharge the duties of said office.

The duties of said office.

To the best of my ability.

So help me God.

So help me God.

Congratulations.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Thank you, everyone.

I've invited Deacon Ayers to say a few words as well.

Heavenly Father, we ask your blessing upon your servant Paul Weimer, who has been entrusted with the leadership of our community as mayor.

Give him wisdom to make just decisions, the courage to stand for what is right, and the compassion for all those he serves.

Guide his mind in times of uncertainty, strengthen his heart in moments of challenge, and keep him grounded in integrity and humility.

Protect Paul and his family from all evil and all harm.

Surround him with those who will advise him with honesty and good counsel.

May his leadership reflect the commitment to truth, service, and the common good.

Amen.

And may Almighty God bless you, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.

Amen.

Congratulations.

Thank you, Roger.

Is this microphone?

Wait, hold now.

It's on.

Here we go.

Thank you, everyone again for coming.

Quite an honor.

I I am actually tingling up here.

This is just amazing.

To be elected as the mayor of the of the best city in the state of New Mexico, as the fastest growing city in the state, and would and the city that will soon be the second largest in the state.

I've used those words oftentimes throughout the campaign, humbling.

And tonight it could be no less no less adequate of a statement in a description.

I've got so many people to thank for for this honor.

Um and I'm not going to be able to list everyone because it's a long list, but to my campaign team, Kim and Joel, they're in the audience.

Thank you for your hard work managing this effort.

To my financial supporters, we could not have gotten the message out that we did without your support.

That support allowed us to get out a lot of advertising in the form of radio and signs, as I'm sure many of you painfully saw and are glad to see gone.

To the numerous volunteers, and there were a number of them who knocked doors for me.

Your long hours were much appreciated.

Mostly to the citizens of our beautiful city.

Your support is so so encouraging.

To my family and many of them are here in the room.

You had to withstand many negatives, but also got to feel the benefits of the positives.

But you were always with me from day one.

To my wife Terry, who is about to be the first lady of the city of Rio Rancho.

Thank you for the for keeping the positive attitude.

Thank you for pushing me forward when the times were tough.

And you and I both know there were some very tough times, and sometimes that I questioned what in the heck I was doing, but you kept me focused, and that was so important.

I also want to thank Mayor Hull and First Lady Carrie Hull.

They were some of my stronger supporters, and I know they had intended on be here being here tonight, but they were in my corner from day one as well, and they provided me with excellent advice and excellent direction.

Again, to the citizens and voters of Rio Rancho.

We've got this.

We've got a strong plan.

We've got a positive plan, a plan that Mayor Hull and myself have been been working on for the past several years, a plan that myself and my fellow city councillors have also been engaged in, and a plan that city staff have been focused on as well.

My administration, my promise to the citizens of Rio Rancho is we will keep this city moving forward positive as it has for the past six years of my term and what I believe the past 12 years of Mayor Hall's term.

Again, citizens of Rio Rancho, we've got this.

Thank you again for allowing me to be your mayor for the next four years.

I appreciate it.

Thank you.

Thank you, everyone.

Test test.

There we go.

Ladies and gentlemen.

Hello.

Hey guys.

Sorry, I got stuck in traffic and I got here as quick as I could.

And uh I can't let everybody go without uh a little tradition that we must honor here.

Uh I'm very excited for Mayor Weimer now that he's sworn in.

So uh congratulations again on an incredible victory.

And we are looking forward to you being my mayor now.

So uh yeah, absolutely.

That's right.

It's been uh it's been a while.

Uh I do want to say uh as we welcome and congratulate Paul uh on being that Rio Rancho's new mayor, uh I want to say thank you to each and every one of you for your support of me and my family during the time that I was the mayor of Rio Rancho.

It's been the honor of my life, and I just can't tell each and every one of you thank you enough.

It has been amazing.

And there's a lot of people in this room that I owe a lot of thanks to, department directors, chiefs, uh, all of you all city counselors, uh, county commissioners, candidates for office, city councilor, deputy mayors, city councilor, we got it there everywhere.

Police officers.

Uh all of y'all have been amazing, and I just want to say thank you.

And I do apologize once again, Paul, for being late to your swearing in ceremony, it's but I got stuck in traffic.

But it is time uh with the swearing in to do a time honor tradition of passing uh the the torch or the gavel if it is uh from one mayor to another.

This tradition hasn't been done here in a long, long time.

So uh I am very happy to to be a part of this process right now, and to I'm honored to hand you the official gavel.

Congratulations.

I've got the power right here.

I know I know Paul will do a great job, and once again, as I said the other day in my closing statements uh uh at my last city council meeting, I I just ask each and every one of you to please get behind Paul and just really lift him up, uh pray for him daily, uh uh keep him in your thoughts and help him to be as successful as you've helped me to be.

So thank you guys.

God bless each and every one of you, and once again, thank you again, Paul, for stepping up to serve.

But Kevin, get one more right here, right here.

All right, give that back.

Yes, there you go.

Give it a couple of laps.

Let's see if it works.

Let's see if it works.