Ward 4 Council Member Teresa Turk / Photo: Todd Gill, Fayetteville Flyer
Three new City Council members and two re-elected officials were sworn in Thursday night during a brief ceremony held before the start of the first City Council meeting of the year.
Newcomers Sonia Gutierrez, Sloan Scroggin and Teresa Turk joined incumbent Mark Kinion in reciting the oath of office pledges read by District Judge William Storey.
City Attorney Kit Williams also took the oath of office Thursday.
Gutierrez was part of a three-person race for the Ward 1, Position 1 seat in the Nov. 6 election. A runoff was set after she and Olivia Trimble emerged as the top contenders. During the runoff, Gutierrez received 67 percent of the votes. She replaces three-term member Adella Gray, who did not seek re-election.
Kinion won a third term after defeating challengers Martin Bemberg and Raymond Burks with 71 percent of the votes in Ward 2.
Scroggin narrowly defeated challenger Lucas Regnier after securing 51 percent of the votes in Ward 3. He replaces two-term member Justin Tennant, who did not seek re-election.
Turk took 66 percent of the votes to defeat one-term member John La Tour in a runoff election. The two emerged as the top contenders after a third candidate – Adam Fire Cat – received only 11 percent of the votes in the Nov. 6 election.
Oath of Office – example
I [stated name] do solemnly swear and affirm that I will support the Constitution of the United States and the Constitution of the State of Arkansas and that I will faithfully discharge the duties of [elected position], upon which I am now about to enter.
Ward 1 Council Member Sonia Gutierrez / Photo: Todd Gill
Ward 2 Council Member Mark Kinion / Photo: Todd Gill
Ward 3 Council Member Sloan Scroggin / Photo: Todd Gill
City Attorney Kit Williams / Photo: Todd Gill
