Members of Cumberland municipal council were officially sworn into office on Wednesday, Nov. 13, 2024, with outgoing mayor Murray Scott presenting the gavel, representing the transition of power, to the new mayor Rod Gilroy.
Gilroy and the eight members of council were all elected during the Oct. 19, 2024, municipal election. Elections are held every four years within the Municipality of Cumberland. Gilroy is the second mayor elected at large in the municipality’s history, after the county changed from a warden-led council to that of a mayor prior to the 2020 municipal election.
“I’m really looking forward to being a part of and working with this council,” Mayor Gilroy said. “I’m really looking forward to working with and being part of this enthusiastic team. We have a great blend of experience and people who are on council for the first time. There’s lots of knowledge of the issues we’re going to face together in the coming months and I have all the faith that we’ll do great things.”
Members of Cumberland municipal council include: CAO Greg Herrett, District 6 Coun. Scott Lockhart, Mayor Rod Gilroy, District 1 Coun. Fred Gould, District 2 Coun. Anthony Fromm, (back, from left) District 3 Coun. Jennifer Houghtaling, District 5 Coun. Angela ‘Angel’ McCormick, District 4 Coun. Kathy Redmond, District 7 Coun. Carrie Lee and District 8 Coun. Marchel Strong.
Gilroy said it’s not the work council will do in the next few months or years that’s most important, but the legacy it leaves for the future.
Joining Gilroy on council are returning members Fred Gould in District 1, Jennifer Houghtaling in District 3, Kathy Redmond in District 4 and Angela ‘Angel’ McCormick in District 5.
New councillors include Anthony Fromm in District 2, Scott Lockhart in District 6, Carrie Lee in District 7 and Marchel Strong in District 8.
Five of the eight councillors are women.
Gilroy thanked the three outgoing councillors – Mark Joseph, Dale Porter and Carrie Goodwin - for their dedicated service to the municipality. He also thanked Scott for his work as the municipality’s first mayor.
“They did a lot of work these last four years and we’re all in a better place as a municipality because of the work they and the previous council did,” Gilroy said.
The mayor also thanked staff for its work.
“Every day you show you really care about the job you do and how you do it, and that means a lot to me and the councillors. For the new councillors, you’ll see in the months ahead how much these people mean to you moving forward. They do a fantastic job and they work hard every day.”
Mayor Rod Gilroy accepts the gavel from outgoing mayor Murray Scott during a special meeting of Cumberland municipal council on Wednesday, Nov. 13, 2024, at which time Mayor Gilroy and the eight members of council were officially sworn into office.