Judge Kim Smith on Tuesday administered the oath of office to Mike Wiederkehr, who stood alongside his wife Lee Anne inside the council chambers in downtown Fayetteville.

Fayetteville Government Channel

FAYETTEVILLE — Newly elected City Council member Mike Wiederkehr was sworn in during a brief ceremony held before the start of the council’s agenda-setting session on Tuesday, Feb. 22 inside the council chambers in downtown Fayetteville.

Wiederkehr, 65, recited the oath of office pledge read by Judge Kim Smith.

Wiederkehr was elected after taking 49% of the votes in the Feb. 8 special election. He fills the empty Ward 2, Position 2 seat left vacant by Matthew Petty, who resigned in October. Wiederkehr will serve the remainder of that term through Dec. 31, 2024.

Oath of Office – Mike Wiederkehr

I, Michael Wiederkehr, do solemnly swear 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 Council Member, Ward 2, Position 2, City of Fayetteville, upon which I am about to enter.

Wiederkehr has held city government positions in human resources, economic development, building and safety, and public works. He began that career in Fort Worth, Texas before spending 30 years in Glendale, California.

Wiederkehr said Petty, who spent 13 years on the advocating for environmental protection, public transit and affordable housing, left the council with some “big shoes” to fill, but he believes his three decades of municipal work experience can help him bypass the learning curve typically associated with a new council member.

He said he fully supports Mayor Lioneld Jordan’s stated core principles of equality, diversity, and inclusion through every action taken by the city government, with the goal of enhancing the safety, vitality, and prosperity of the city.

Ward 2, which is typically associated with the downtown and Dickson Street areas, includes portions of the University of Arkansas campus and stretches west past Garland Avenue to Asbell Elementary School, and north to the Washington County Fairgrounds. The ward also includes the businesses along College Avenue in midtown, and many historic districts including Wilson Park.

» Read Wiederkehr’s responses to a Flyer Q&A from November