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Incumbent Pelham Mayor Gary Waters is sworn in to serve another term as the city's mayor, while the city council was also sworn in during the meeting on Monday, Nov. 2. (Reporter photo/Keith McCoy)

By NATHAN HOWELL | Special to the Reporter

PELHAM — Following the recent municipal elections, new and returning members of the Pelham City Council, Mayor Gary Waters and other city officials were sworn in for the next term on Monday, Nov. 2.

After defeating a challenger in the elections, Waters was re-elected and sworn in at the ceremony.

City Council members sworn in at the ceremony included David Coram in Place 1, Larry Palmer in Place 2, Rick Wash in Place 3, Maurice Mercer in Place 4 and Mildred Lanier in Place 5.

Lanier and Mercer were both nominated for the position of city council president, with Mercer being chosen in a roll call vote.

Coram was the sole nomination and was elected as council president pro-tem.

Each of the council members took time to address the residents of the city and their fellow council members as they look forward to the progress that they intend to make for the city over the next four years.

Palmer took an opportunity to thank both Coram and Waters for their military service and acknowledged the service of veterans in the room.

“Thank you so much for your service,” Palmer said. “You individuals who served, we owe it to you for what we have got. I also want to thank all of the past council members. Thank you so much for getting the city where it is at today.”

Wash expressed his hope that the city would work together to make improvements for the city as a whole.

“I want to thank all of the families that made an effort to come out tonigh,” Wash said. “It takes us all to pull together to move things forward. We are going to work very hard as one unit to make this work and move the city forward.”

Lanier reiterated that same point of working for the city.

“I just want to say thank you my family and friends,” Lanier said. “We are one city and we will serve as one city.”

Mercer acknowledged the hard work of the previous administration and said he looks forward to the possibilities of what this council can do to help Pelham progress.

“I recognize that we have to work together,” Mercer said. “We are on the heels of the previous council. We are going to try and build on the success of the past.”

Waters thanked his family and quoted President Abraham Lincoln in his closing remarks.

“No elected official can do it without the support of their families,” Waters said. “I’d like to finish with one of my favorite quotes, ‘If you want to test a man’s leadership give him adversity. If you want to test a man’s character give him power.’”

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