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Richmond’s new council sworn in

Richmond’s new council was sworn in Monday night, and as mayor and councillors recited the oath of office and the oath of allegiance, the next few years of the city’s local government launched.

Richmond’s new council was sworn in Monday night, and as mayor and councillors recited the oath of office and the oath of allegiance, the next few years of the city’s local government launched.

Last month, Richmond’s municipal election saw some significant shifts as former councillors Derek Dang and Ken Johnston were not voted back to council. Instead, Richmond Citizens’ Association’s Kelly Greene and RITE’s Michael Wolfe were elected.

“I would like to extend a special welcome to our two new councillors…their energy, backgrounds and knowledge will be of great assistance as we work together to provide strong, thoughtful and caring leadership for our city,” said Brodie in his inaugural address.

“I also want to take a moment to acknowledge the longstanding service of retiring councillors Derek Dang and Ken Johnston. Collectively, (they) contributed 39 years of service to this city.”

Prior to Monday night’s meeting, Wolfe shared that the new council could mark a moment of change for Richmond.

“It feels like the start of a new era,” Wolfe told the Richmond News. “Nothing in local politics is possible without the people and they spoke up. They got involved in the citizenry process and voted to make change.”

Looking ahead to the next four years, Brodie highlighted a number of issues in his address including managing growth, housing affordability, community safety, community services, transportation, sustainability and responsible financial management.

“Though we accomplished a long list of achievements over the past four years, there still remains much more to fulfill our vision for Richmond,” Brodie said.

“Governance renewal is a key tenet of the democratic process. We look forward to the next four years as we work diligently to fulfill our commitments.”

In addition to council being sworn in, appointments were made for councillors to serve on various committees including community safety, finance, general purposes, parks, recreation and cultural services, planning and public works and transportation.