Baldwin will usher in a new era of leadership this week as three newly elected council members take the oath of office.
Erik Keith, Joseph Satterfield, and Kerri Davis will be sworn in during the council work session on Tuesday, Jan. 9. The meeting begins at 6:30 p.m. with the swearing-in ceremony.
The city council appointed Keith to serve on the city council in October following the sudden and unexpected resignation of Larry Lewallen. Keith was the only candidate to qualify to run for Lewallen’s open Post 1 seat last November. Now that Lewallen’s term has expired, Keith’s appointment is up, and he’ll begin his first full four-year term starting Tuesday.
Joseph Satterfield is Baldwin’s new Post 2 city council member. He takes over the seat vacated by Theron Ayers, who, like Lewallen, did not seek reelection. Satterfield was the only candidate to qualify for that post.
Another newcomer, Kerri Davis, will take the oath of office for the Post 3 city council seat. She fills the seat left open by Stephanie Almagno, who ran for and was elected mayor in November. Like her colleagues, Keith and Satterfield, Davis faced no opposition in last year’s municipal election.
The leadership change began last February with then-Baldwin Mayor Joe Elam’s surprise resignation. In the course of eleven months, four seats on the city council have changed hands
Once the new council is seated, members are set to discuss council meeting procedures and qualifying fees for future elections. The council is not expected to take any action during the work session.
The meeting has been moved from its usual location and will take place in the Baldwin Police Department training room at 155 Willingham Avenue.