Satyendra Huja, Kathy Galvin and Dede Smith were sworn in this afternoon by outgoing City Clerk Paul Garrett and are now full-fledged City Councilors.
Smith told C-VILLE that she feels ready “to get started.”
“I am looking forward to the budget,” she said “It’s really where the rubber hits the road.” Smith added that it is the responsibility of Council to look at the budget in a creative and effective way. In fact, she said, this year’s choices will “start to shape the next four years.”
For Galvin, working to craft a strategic plan to expand employment opportunities for the city’s residents is on the top of the to-do list. The Belmont Bridge project is also a priority for Galvin, a local urban designer. She envisions taking a more holistic look at plans that will benefit the areas that closely surround the bridge: Sixth Street and Crescent Hall, two of the city’s seven public housing sites (which are going through a major redevelopment) and the Belmont neighborhood. 

“We need to constantly be aware of being green in terms of planning,” she said in reference to developing a “very good” transportation and bike and pedestrian systems.
But first things first. In early January, the new Council will decide who the next mayor will be. Bets are on Huja for his seniority and his service to the city. Find out more about the race to become mayor in Tuesday’s paper.
Kathy Galvin, Satyendra Huja and Dede Smith are sworn in as new City Councilors. (Photo by Chiara Canzi)