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Danville swore in three residents to serve on its Town Council during a special virtual ceremony on Tuesday, after which the new council came together to select a new mayor and vice mayor for the new year.
Held alongside the town’s annual Mayor’s Installation and Community Service Awards and broadcasted on the town’s YouTube channel, returning council members Newell Arnerich and Renee Morgan as well as newcomer Dave Fong took the oath of office, officially joining the council.
After taking the oath, the new council’s first order of business was to unanimously select Morgan to serve as mayor and Arnerich to serve as vice mayor for 2021.
“To say 2020 has been a year like no other would be an understatement,” Morgan said at the virtual ceremony. “We cherish in our heart the way these times prioritize what really matters. The health and wellbeing of our loved ones, the resilience of Danville and the sacrifices made by all of us.”
“Moving forward we need to spend our energy helping Danville. Stimulate our economy, build people up. Your voice is so important, use your voice to create a healthier better future for everyone,” she added.
The evening saw a number of historic occurrences for the town, with Vice Mayor Arnerich joining the council for a historic seventh term on the council — Arnerich has served the town in various capacities for more than 30 years — and Councilman Fong becoming the first person of Chinese-American heritage and first person of color ever to serve on the Danville Town Council.
“I am humbled and honored to be elected to the Danville Town Council and join a very distinguished council group that I have admired and respected for many years that have resulted in our very special town being one of the most desirable communities to live and raise a family,” Fong said Tuesday.
“As we address the very time urgent challenges facing our town emerging from the ongoing pandemic and economic downturn, I look forward to accepting the responsibilities that come with the position. And for the opportunity to work with each and every one of you and to together build a stronger Danville for tomorrow. Be safe and shop local,” he added.
Tuesday also served as the last meeting for former councilwoman Lisa Blackwell, who decided to not run for re-election after serving one term in order to spend more time with her family and to travel.
“It’s been such an honor to represent Danville over the past four years on the Danville Town Council,” Blackwell said. “Danville has heart and is a caring community, it is a place where we take care of one another … Thank you for letting me serve the town I love. I’m not going away. You’ll see me downtown and thank you for all of your kind words.”
Residents can view the entire swearing-in ceremony, as well as the town’s Mayor’s Installation and Community Service Awards, on the town of Danville’s officials YouTube channel.
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