Mayor-elect Bryan Nelson, along with two newly elected city commissioners – Alexander Smith and Alice Nolan – will be sworn-in Tuesday, April 24, in a noon ceremony at the Apopka Community Center/VFW, 519 S. Central Avenue.
The doors will open at 11:30 a.m. and following the welcome and the Star-Spangled Banner sung by Commissioner Doug Bankson, the oath of office will be given to the three who won election.
In the March 13 Apopka City Council election, Nelson defeated Mayor Joe Kilsheimer, who was seeking re-election to his second four-year term. Smith was forced into a runoff with Suzanne Kidd as the two were vying to fill the seat left open by retiring Commissioner Billie Dean. Kidd, however, withdrew from the race less than a week after the election, saying since Kilsheimer lost, she would not continue to seek office. In an April 10 runoff, Nolan then went on to defeat Commissioner Diane Velazquez, who was also seeking a second term.
Nelson will be sworn in by Judge Eric Wooten, while the Rev. Dr. H.L. Dericho will swear in Smith. Nolan will be sworn in by her husband, Joe.
Following that, the trio will hold a ceremonial cake cutting and then there will be a reception.
Excited, nervous
The mayor-elect said he’s looking forward to taking office next week, but he’s also a bit cautious.
“A little nervous, a little excited. It’s a combination,” Nelson said. “Anybody would tell you going into a new job with 400 employees, $125-million budget, you should be a little nervous. But I’m excited.”
After getting moved into the mayor’s office, Nelson wants to see how each department runs.
“Depending on what’s thrown at me the first couple of days, I’d like to pick a department and spend a half-day doing what they’re doing. I don’t mean just the managers and the department heads, but get out to the wastewater treatment plant and work there for a half-day out there. Go out and ride in a cop car, go out and ride on a fire truck. Go out to Public Works and hang out with those folks,” he said.
Nelson said he plans to look at the city’s department heads and other managers.
“I think morale seems to be an issue. I’m sure that part of it is because they don’t know where I’m going and how I’m trying to get there. One of the things I asked for is resumes from all the higher-paid employees. I just want to know what their skill-sets are. I want to match them up and make sure we’ve got people in the right places,” he said.
He said that some people have suggested that the department heads should offer their resignations and then he has the choice to accept or not.
“I’m not going to do that. I think that’s demeaning. I just want to see where everybody’s at and then hang out with the line workers and the average guy who’s been there six months or 16 years,” the mayor-elect said.
The full story appears on page 1A of the Friday, April 20, issue of The Apopka Chief.
