Alexander officials take oath of office

(Edited for grammatical syntax.)

Seven aldermen, the city treasurer and city recorder were sworn-in by City of Alexander Mayor Paul Mitchell Sunday, January 1 at the City Municipal Complex. Attending the ceremony were Joe Pollard (Ward-1/1), Joy Gray (Ward-2/1), Juanita Wilson (Ward-2/2), Harold Timmerman (Ward-3/1), Dan Church (Ward-3/2), Melissa Ratliff (Ward-4/1), and Jeffery Watson (Ward-4/2). Mitchell said Elizabeth Bland (Ward-1/2) could not attend and will be sworn in later.

Also sworn-in were Kenneth Miller as city treasurer and Sharon Bankhead as city recorder. This is the first time both were elected to their positions. Each of them had been appointed to complete the unexpired term of treasurer and recorder.

Church and Ratliff are the only council members who were re-elected. Watson was on the council serving as alderman of Ward-1 but had to resign in 2016 when he moved to Ward-4.

Taking the oath of office for City of Alexander aldermen are (L to R)
Jeffery Watson, Harold Timmerman, Joe Pollard, Joy Gray, Juanita Wilson,
Melissa Ratliff, and Dan Church.

(Photo by The Alexandrian.)

Sharon Bankhead
holding her
Certificate of 
Office after being 
sworn-in as 
city recorder.

(Photo provided 
by family.)

Kenneth Miller
taking the oath for 
city treasurer.

(Photo by 
The Alexandrian.)

After the ceremony, Mitchell gave the council members an orientation on some of the legal pitfalls to avoid when serving as an alderman. At the top of his list was council members talking to each other outside a council meeting. Under state law any conversation of city business, even between only two council members, can be considered a meeting and could result in a law suit.

He also let the new aldermen know their power only exists during a council meeting. He told them they do not have any direct authority over city employees. In the past there has been the occasional alderman who would give orders to street department staff.