HARTFORD, Conn. — Members of the Hartford City Council -- some new, some returning, and including a new council president -- took their oaths of office Monday night.
The ceremony at Hartford City Hall started with bagpipes, a police honor guard, prayers, and the singing of "The Star Spangled Banner" and "Lift Every Voice."
An official but brief meeting of the council was called to order long enough for a motion naming council member Shirley Surgeon as the new president. Tradition provides the top vote-getter among council candidates with the right of first refusal for the leadership role. Surgeon, who has served on multiple civic boards as an aide to the council, Registrar of Voters, and currently as an Election Officer with the Secretary of the State's office, was first elected to the council in 2020. Outgoing president Maly Rosado will continue to serve as a council member.
Addressing the gathering, Surgeon said, "Together, we can shape the future of our city. We will write it together with commitment, compassion, courage, pride. This is not about a title. It's about serving our residents."
Her vision of that future includes innovation and "green solutions" for transportation and waste management challenges, and supporting businesses and entrepreneurs, including coffee shops. Surgeon joke about her well-known love of coffee. "More coffee shops mean economic growth. Let's have more coffee shops."
It was a light-hearted moment, but Surgeon intimated that such informal gathering places would supplement official meetings and hearings as a way to seek out residents' opinions.
“As a Black woman, an immigrant, hearing all our voices in our community is personal for me, so let us choose empathy, kindness, understanding, and rectitude as our guiding principles."
New mayor Arunan Arulampalam also addressed the gathering, noting it was the culmination of a week of inaugural events around this weekend's snowstorm.
Mayor Arulampalam said that on Sunday and he and three council members helped to shovel out some residents in need.
"I don't know if there's a better metaphor for working together than literally picking up a shovel, hopping in car, going around around shoveling people out." The mayor said he hopes that attitude could be brought to bear on bigger city issues, buy residents and officials alike.
"Each of us has an important part to play in the rich tapestry of this city."
That spirit of cooperation among all residents was also invoked by Surgeon.
“Each of us has a role to play and a contribution to make. So, Hartford -- residents -- let’s step into this new year, new council term. Together we are stronger, with a renewed sense of purpose, a renewed spirit of unity and an unwavering commitment to peace and prosperity. And, of course, a multitude of coffee shops."
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