The long-standing Trail tradition of swearing-in newly elected civic officials in front of a roomful of citizens — the last many years at the Riverbelle — has indeed been nixed.
Instead, mayor-elect Colleen Jones and six councillors; Bev Benson, Paul Butler, Nick Cashol, Thea Hanson, Terry Martin, and Doug Wilson, will be sworn to service in Rossland during an invite-only event Thursday, Nov. 3.
“The normal swearing-in ceremony with the new Trail council is not going ahead as been hoped,” Colin McClure, chief city administrator, told the Times. “This was due to lack of staff resources, which made coordinating and organizing an event this year not possible.”
The city gratefully accepted the invite from Rossland to join them and other local municipalities at a joint council swearing-in, he added.
“Regrettably, due to the limited space at the (Rossland) Prestige, this is an invitation-only event and not a large public one.”
McClure said the inaugural Trail council meeting will remain, as per procedural bylaw, Monday, Nov. 7.
Judge Robert Brown will be leading all mayor and council-elects in attendance through their respective Oath of Office pledge.
In total, 26 newly elected people are scheduled to participate; Trail (7), Rossland (7), Warfield (4), Fruitvale (4) and Montrose (4).
Elected officials to the regional district will be sworn in at the statutory regional board meeting on Nov. 9.