Going into 2025, Gainesville continues to be a welcoming place for all those who wish to be welcomed, Mayor Harvey Ward said as he presided over the swearing in of new and returning commissioners Monday at the Thomas Center.
Both Desmon Duncan-Walker and Cynthia Moore Chestnut were reelected to the commission for four additional years, while James Ingle was elected for his first term, to a seat left formerly filled by Reina Saco.
“My faith tradition…calls for us to do two primary things, to love one another and to not embrace fear,” Ward said. “We will continue to work hard not to embrace fear. We will lean into doing the right work.”
The ceremony, which happens every two years, began with an invocation from Reverend Michael Frazier, Sr., of the United Methodist Church.
After reciting the oath of office, newly elected commissioner James Ingle shared his experience as a working class man. Growing up, he said he never expected to be able to go from living in a “broken down trailer at the end of a dirt road” to being a public servant.
Ingle said he was inspired to run due to a lack of representation for everyday voices.
“You see a lot of wing tips up there,” he said. “You don’t see work boots.”
Besides being elected in November for the At Large Seat A, Ingle serves as the president of the North Central Florida, West Florida and South Georgia branch of the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers, where he fights for union rights for electricians.
While in office, Ingle said he hopes to ensure every member of the working class in Gainesville has what he has — financial stability and a home to go back to every night.
Desmon Duncan-Walker was reelected to a second term on the Gainesville City Commission, and after being sworn in spent much of her speech thanking the people in her life who helped get her to this point.
She said her grandmother, Gloria, was a big influence in what drew her to public service, teaching her the importance of valuing oneself and instituting self respect.
“There is not a day that goes by that I don't draw on your wisdom, feel your presence, and that I don't hear the words that you taught me when I was just nine years old,” she said.
It has been a privilege and honor serving Gainesville, Duncan-Walker said, and with 2025 a brand new year brings a brand new feel.
Despite facing tremendous challenges, she said she was extremely proud of the work Gainesville did during her first term to declare gun violence as a public health crisis, one year before it was done at the national level.
“That declaration with the support of my colleagues has allowed the proper resources to be put into place so that our charter officers and staff, and so that our community members can properly address this critical situation,” she said.
Ward closed out the ceremony by reinstating his pride in the City of Gainesville and his intention to lead the commission with love.
“We will lead with love, but it would be an error for anyone to mistake that love for lack of resolve,” he said. “We are resolved…to accomplish the work that the people of the City of Gainesville elected us to do, and we will continue to do that work one way or another.”
Commissioner Cynthia Moore Chestnut was unable to attend the ceremony and was sworn in to return to her At Large, Seat B during the city commission special meeting later in the afternoon.
The next city commission regular meeting is scheduled for Wednesday.
Contact Morgan Vanderlaan at mvanderlaan@alligator.org. Follow her on X @morgvande.
Morgan Vanderlaan is a second year Political Science major and the Fall 2024 Politics Enterprise Reporter. When she's not on the clock she can be found writing, reciting, and watching theatre!
