New leadership was sworn in Tuesday during the San Angelo City Council meeting, marking the beginning of new terms for the mayor and two council members, and the departure of three outgoing officials.
District 4 and District 6 Council Members Sworn In
Patrick Keely was sworn in as the new District 4 council member by Municipal Court Judge Jay Daniel. Mary Coffey, the new representative for District 6, was also sworn in by Judge Daniel.
Outgoing District 4 council member Lucy Gonzalez concluded her 10 years of service. District 6 council member Larry Miller, who joined the council in 2021, ended his four-year term.
Tom Thompson Sworn In as Mayor
Mayor Tom Thompson was sworn in by County Judge Lane Carter, succeeding outgoing Mayor Brenda Gunter, who held the office since 2017 and was reelected in 2021.
“When I think about the past 8 years I’ve gone up here to the city council, I’ve always looked at this as a joy and a pleasure as an honor to serve,” Thompson said during the meeting. “So many people say I can’t believe how you do it or why you do it, but you don’t know until you get involved, how much you can help somebody.”
“I want to thank everybody for coming here today,” he said. “I want everybody to know that our future is great. We’re going to take this like a relay race– we’re going to take this baton, and we’re going to move forward, and we’re going to try and make the best decisions for our city council and our city for the next four, eight, 12, and 16 years moving forward.”
Outgoing Mayor Reflects on Time in Office
Former Mayor Brenda Gunter gave her final remarks during the meeting, expressing gratitude to those who supported her during her tenure.
“No one can do this job unless you have the support of friends, families, and citizens,” Gunter said. “And today is my day to thank you for every single day that you were there to help me get done what we needed to do.”
She noted that when she first ran for mayor, she committed to prioritizing core city services including infrastructure, police, fire, and water.
“I am proud to say today that we have negotiated enough water to take us through the next 70 years plus, so that the citizens of San Angelo do not have to worry about their water supply for the future,” she said. “Because you can’t be a city and you can’t be a quality of life city if you don’t have water.”
Runoff Election Set for District 2 Seat
A runoff election for District 2 is scheduled for June 7, as no candidate received more than 50 percent of the vote. Dudra Butler and Joe Self will face off in the runoff.
Early voting for the runoff will take place at the Keyes Building from May 27–31, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., and June 1 from 1–4 p.m. Extended hours will be available on June 2–3, from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.
Photos courtesy of the City of San Angelo
