New Duluth City Councilors take the oath of office

DULUTH, Minn.– It was a packed house at the Duluth city hall, because three new Duluth City Councilors took the oath of office.

A swearing-in ceremony took place at the council chamber for incumbent Terese Tomanek, and newcomers Jordon Johnson, Diane Desotelle, and David Clanaugh.

Councilor Clanaugh was not at the ceremony because of a work obligation.

As for Tomanek, she is taking on the added title this year as Council President.

The new Councilors said, they’re passionate about what they will bring to the table.

“I’m a person who listens and hears the voices and can kind of hold complex issues and understand them and take decisions very seriously and ask critical questions we need them. And so that’s what I imagine kind of bringing forth in who I am and holding close my values and my integrity,” said Jordon Johnson, At-Large Duluth City Councilor.

“I come from engineering and an environmental resource so background, I think it’s really great to have a city councilor that’s really thinking about our open spaces and the environment and our natural resources in addition to our infrastructure and the need for getting that upgraded, that’s all tied into housing,” said Diane Desotelle, 2nd District Duluth City Councilor.

Council President Tomanek said when it comes to taking on a new role at the city of Duluth, she has a few words of encouragement.

“My advice for the new councilors would be not to afraid. Be afraid to jump in. You know, it’s overwhelming the amount of information to learn how meetings are run, and so you could have a tendency to just sit back and think, I’ll just wait till I know more. But these councilors have a veritable gold mine of information,” said Tomanek.

The first formal meeting for the new councilors will be Thursday’s agenda meeting, where Clanaugh will swear in.