Council members sworn in, new mayor and mayor pro-tem elected for City of Elizabethton
Published 10:22 am Wednesday, November 27, 2024
Ivan Sanders/Star Correspondent/Kim Birchfield, Debbie Gouge, and Jeff Treadway are sworn in as members of the Elizabethton City Council after winning seats in the general election. Gouge is the only new councilwoman elected this term.
Ivan Sanders/Star Correspondent/Judge Stacy Street presides over a special called City Council meeting on Tuesday afternoon, where the Council elected a new mayor and mayor pro-tem as its first official act of business following the general election.
Ivan Sanders/Star Correspondent/Bill Carter (left) was elected as the new mayor of Elizabethton on Tuesday, while Michael Simerly was chosen as the new mayor pro-tem.
Ivan Sanders/Star Correspondent/Elizabethton City Council members stand with Carter County Mayor Patty Woodby, who presented the city with a $100,000 check for repairs to Cat Island Park. The money is part of a $1 million donation from the Randy Boyd Foundation.
Ivan Sanders/Star Correspondent/Mayor Pro-Tem Michael Simerly (left) and Mayor Bill Carter shake hands as Simerly takes his seat after being selected for the position on the Elizabethton City Council.
Ivan Sanders/Star Correspondent/Bill Carter assumed the duties of mayor for the City of Elizabethton after being nominated by Richard Barker and seconded by Michael Simerly. The vote was unanimous.
Ivan Sanders/Star Correspondent/Carter County Mayor Patty Woodby presents Elizabethton City Manager Daniel Estes with a $100,000 check for repairs to Cat Island Park. The funds are part of a $1 million donation from the Randy Boyd Foundation to Carter County.
Ivan Sanders/Star Correspondent/The Honorable Stacy Street presides over the swearing-in ceremony for the Elizabethton City Council and the Elizabethton City School Board on Tuesday at City Hall.
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BY IVAN SANDERS
STAR CORRESPONDENT
After a general election that saw two new members elected to a pair of boards in the City of Elizabethton and four incumbents re-elected, it was time to make it official on Tuesday afternoon in the council chambers at Elizabethton City Hall with a swearing-in ceremony followed by a special called City Council meeting to elect a new mayor and mayor pro-tem.
The Honorable Stacy Street presided over the swearing-in as the Elizabethton City Council saw incumbents Kim Birchfield and Jeff Treadway installed for another term, and Debbie Gouge taking the open seat left on the council when former Mayor Curt Alexander elected not to run for another term after holding the seat of mayor for the last 20 years.
Alexander was the longest-serving mayor in City of Elizabethton history.
Following the swearing-in of the City Council, Elizabethton City School Board incumbents Jamie Schaff and Phil Isaacs, along with newly elected board member Bob Lewis, were sworn in by Street.
Before the special called meeting proceeded, Carter County Mayor Patty Woodby stood before the council and thanked the city for all that was done to help during the early stages of the Hurricane Helene disaster relief.
Mayor Woodby then presented a check in the amount of $100,000 to Elizabethton City Manager Daniel Estes to be used for repairs to Cat Island Park, which was destroyed by flooding. The funds were part of a $1 million donation to Carter County from the Randy Boyd Foundation.
The council then entered the special called meeting to address the reorganization of the City Council, with the selection of a new mayor as the first item on the agenda.
Street called for nominations for mayor, with Richard Barker making the nomination of Bill Carter for the position and Michael Simerly seconding. The vote was unanimous for Carter.
Carter was then given control of the meeting as Street stepped aside. Carter moved for nominations to fill the mayor pro-tem position that he had previously held.
Barker once again made the motion for Councilman Simerly to be nominated for the role, and after no one else was nominated, Councilwoman Gouge made her first official second for Simerly.
The vote was unanimous, and with no further business on the agenda, the meeting was adjourned.
“I have been on the City Council since 2010, and I have been mayor pro-tem for eight years,” said Carter at the conclusion of the meeting. “I consider it a privilege to serve the people of Elizabethton. The city is headed in a positive direction, and I want to make sure that it stays in that direction.”
Carter said following in Alexander’s shoes was going to no doubt be a challenge, but he felt like he was ready to take on the task.
“There is no doubt there is a challenge to follow up a mayor that has been serving for 20 years. I just feel like I am the person to take us to the next level,” Carter said. “I think that we have an excellent council that is wanting to improve our quality of life for the residents of Elizabethton.”
As far as priorities that he wanted to focus on after being named mayor, Carter said he believed that taxpayers need to see their dollars working, along with continuing to improve the appearance of the city.
“I want to see work in a manner that gives money back to the taxpayers that they pay, such as the parks and roads,” said Carter. “I would like to see us continue to clean up and beautify our community.
“I would like to put an emphasis on polishing up our community because the appearance of our community really affects our citizens.”
The next City Council meeting will be held at 6 p.m. on Thursday, Dec. 12, inside the City Council Chambers at Elizabethton City Hall.
