Moncton and Riverview councils to be sworn in

A new team for Riverview Town Council will take the oath of office tonight.

The oath of office ceremony will be livestreamed starting at 6 pm on Monday.

“One of the first things we’re going to do is we’re going to sit down as a council elect, and we’re going to go through the issues that we heard from our residents on the campaign trail. So I think as a first step, that’s the number one thing that I want to do,” Mayor-elect Andrew Leblanc said.

He added that once everyone is officially sworn in, they’ll get started on strategic planning and tackling some of the big issues that residents have identified through the campaign.

“Public safety is a big issue. I think a lot of people are looking at what we’re doing to keep our community safe, whether that’s looking at fire and rescue or looking at police services and making sure they have the proper amount of resources, looking at additional officers or additional equipment or whatever that may be. People are really concerned about the level of safety in their communities,” Leblanc stated.

He added that community growth is another big issue.

“So we are aiming to have really balanced growth in the town of Riverview. We want to make sure that we do it so that it’s aligned with the vision that our residents have for the town of Riverview and that we’re protecting those community and family values that everybody really loves about the town of Riverview,” Leblanc added.

He feels that all of the new council is going to be really focused on what can be done to make the town a better place for its residents.

“Everyone has a genuine interest and a genuine passion. And I think that will bring us together in terms of the level of advocacy that we want to bring to some of these key issues. We have more gender parity on this next council, which is going to be really great. We’ve got a lot of new faces that are coming around the table. We’re going to have some experience as well. So we’re going to have a really good mix of backgrounds, skill sets, and vision on the next council team,” Leblanc expressed.

One of the things he feels will help make council more successful is the ability to disagree with each other professionally and respectfully, and to be able to go into council chambers and have challenging discussions.

Meantime, Moncton City Council will also see its new council sworn in. The oath of office ceremony will be held in City Council Chambers at 6 pm on Monday. It is not open to the public, but it will be livestreamed via their YouTube channel.

“Change can be tough for two reasons. As an elected official, there’s going to be lots of documents and lots of conversations and lots of meetings that I’m going to encourage Councillors to be involved in. The only way that we’re going to learn and we’re going to all move together is if we’re at one table and understanding the same subjects on the same line,” Mayor-elect Shawn Crossman explained.

He hopes to bring the council together for a full conversation on public safety to see what their shortfalls and challenges are, and how they can make improvements and work together.

Riverview and Moncton residents have common concerns.

“The number one concern has always been public safety. And I want to make sure that we as a Council address that and we start talking about it openly, with our public and with our citizens.”

Dieppe City Council will hold its oath of office ceremony on Tuesday, June 2.