Two new members of Sandy Springs City Council officially took their council seats Jan. 5 after they, four continuing council members and the mayor were sworn in for new terms.
District 1 representative John Paulson and District 3 representative Chip Collins took their oaths of office separately. Like Mayor Eva Galambos and the returning council members — Dianne Fries of District 2, Ashley Jenkins of District 4, Tibby DeJulio of District 5 and Karen Meinzen McEnerny of District 6 — they were sworn in by Fulton County Senior Judge Charles L. Carnes.
Members of the council members’ families joined them as they took their oaths of office during a brief ceremony before the council’s first meeting of 2010.
Galambos placed her hand on a family Bible held by her husband, John, as she took the oath of office to begin her second term as the mayor.
Afterwards, she told the small group gathered in the council chambers for the ceremony that she hoped the members of the new council would get along as well as members of the previous one had.
“We are known throughout the area as having a congenial council.” Galambos said. “We don’t carry grudges. I think that has been one of the strengths of this city council.”
In District 1, Paulson, an engineer, succeeds former Councilman Doug MacGinnitie, who vacated the office with plans to run for the position of Georgia Secretary of State. Collins, a lawyer, succeeds former District 3 Councilman Rusty Paul.