Moncton’s new City Council was officially sworn in on Monday Night, with the exception of one councillor.
Ahead of the ceremony, City staff announced that Councillor-elect Daniel Bourgeois would be sworn in at a later date. Bourgeois’s seat in Ward 2 was contested following the election, he was still elected after a recount, and those results were not contested. However, because the recount could still be challenged for up to 10 days his swearing-in was postponed.
The ceremony was much less exuberant than previous occasions as councillors were allowed just one guest.
Following the introduction, councillors approached the podium one by one and recited the words that would carve their names into Moncton history.
Each Councillor had the opportunity to address the public, most expressed their gratitude for a chance to serve Moncton and their excitement for the overall opportunity.
“At the legislative assembly it’s quite pompous, and the big celebration and a lot of people so this was very intimate,” said Councillor-at-large Monique LeBlanc, who served as the MLA for Moncton east from 2014-2020.
“Coming from the provincial level we we’re working directly with the City of Moncton, so I’m knowledgeable about quite a few of the projects.”
Newly elected Council members will have a chance to further familiarize themselves with projects in Moncton when they begin their orientation.
Moncton Mayor Dawn Arnold says she has designed “fulsome” orientation sessions.
“It’s an opportunity again for everyone to get to know each other, but also a chance to talk about why they ran for municipal politics, things like governance, roles and responsibilities, understanding how meetings work,” said Arnold, whose win on election night secured her second consecutive term as Mayor.
She has already had a chance to speak with the councillors after making calls to each of them.
“It was really an opportunity to get to know each other and understand what their individual priorities are.” Arnold is responsible for appointing councillors to agencies, boards, and commissions.
The next Moncton City Council meeting is scheduled for June 21st.
