The City of Valdosta will swear in the Mayor and four City Councilmembers during the first City Council meeting of the New Year, on Thursday, Jan. 7, beginning at 5:30 p.m., in the City Council Chambers of City Hall, located at 216 E. Central Avenue. The Honorable James G. Tunison, Jr., Superior Court Judge of the Southern Judicial Circuit, will preside over the swearing in ceremony.
 
Those taking office include John Gayle, re-elected to his second term as the City of Valdosta Mayor; City Councilman Ben Norton, re-elected to serve At-Large; City Councilwoman Vivian Miller-Cody, elected to her first term to serve District 1; City Councilman Joseph “Sonny” Vickers, re-elected to serve District 3; and City Councilman Tim Carroll, re-elected to serve District 5.
 
Following the induction of these councilmembers, the Mayor and Council by majority vote will elect a member of the City Council to serve as Mayor Pro Tem, who serves in the Mayor’s absence. The elected Mayor Pro Tem will also be sworn in at the Jan. 7 City Council meeting.
 
Citizens are invited to a special reception for the Mayor and Council that will take place in the Valdosta City Hall Annex Multi-Purpose Room immediately following the City Council meeting. The annex is located at 300 N. Lee Street, across the street from City Hall.