CALLAWAY — After being sworn in Tuesday, Callaway city commissioners and residents celebrated.
Newcomers Melba Covey and Robert Pelletier and incumbents Pamn Henderson and Mayor Thomas Abbott took the oath of office at a special meeting.
“These are always good days in my opinion,” Abbott said. “There will be challenges ahead of us, but we have five people that the citizens have asked to take on those challenges and make good decisions on behalf of the city. And I think all five people will.”
Minutes after being sworn in, both commissioners brought new business to the board.
Covey requested the board to schedule a meeting to determine who would fill the city manager position, which will become vacant May 8 due to City Manager Marcus Collins’ retirement. The meeting will be at 6 p.m. Tuesday at the Callaway Arts and Conference Center, 500 Callaway Parkway.
“I’m excited and really anxious to get to work and to help the city continue to move forward,” Covey said.
Pelletier asked for board approval to start assessing the city’s current information technology services. Commissioners agreed IT services need improvement and welcomed Pelletier to the challenge.
“I know it’s crazy,” Pelletier said about serving on the commission, “but I’m looking forward to it.”
That’s the kind of concern that won the citizens’ favor, according to Janice Jennings, a founding member of the Callaway Citizens Committee, formerly the Callaway Citizens Advisory Committee.
“We’re grateful,” Jennings said. “We think we’ve got people that are going to vote for in the favor of the citizens.”
The committee is attributed with the 2012 election of late mayor Bob Thompson, who shared a campaign platform with Ward 4 Commissioner Ralph Hollister and recently resigned former commissioner David Otano.
“As a committee, we like to get people up there who listen to what the citizens wanted; that’s all we want,” Jennings added. “And I think we’ve got people up there that’s going to do it.”
Lifetime Callaway resident Wayne McLeod agreed.
“I believe Commissioners Covey and Pelletier will continue the platform they started two years ago and will get the city back on its feet financially and will address issues long hid on the backburner.”