Photo by John Cook • Tuscola County clerk Jodi Fetting, left, swears in recently-elected Vassar City Council members, from left, Dan Surgent, Dan Atkins and Roger Bacon Sr.
By Megan Decker
Staff Writer
VASSAR — Tuscola County Clerk Jodi Fetting swore in the three newly elected Vassar City Council members during a regular session on Monday.
Roger Bacon Sr., Dan Surgent and Dan Atkins each took their oath of office in front of a large crowd.
According to official election results, Bacon earned 209 votes; Surgent earned 191 votes; and Atkins earned 187 votes during the Nov. 5 general election. Bacon will serve a five-year term on the city council and Surgent and Atkins will each serve a three-year term.
The city clerk has been conducting odd-year elections since council passed a resolution in 2004. Vassar’s first odd-year election was held in 2005. The previous city council agreed to move its election back to even years, as a cost savings measure, with the next election to be held in November 2016.
Also during the session, as per city charter, council members selected Bacon to serve as the city’s mayor and Surgent to serve as mayor pro-tem.
The city council also recognized outgoing members Joe Hembling, Dan Stedry and Nancy Wade during the session.
In other business:
• Council members appointed Nicholas West to the Parks & Recreation Commission with a term expiring June 30, 2016; Corey Haubenstricker to the Downtown Development Authority with a term expiring June 30, 2017; and Matthew Hotchkiss to the Downtown Development Authority with a term expiring June 30, 2017.
• Council members agreed to schedule a committee of the whole meeting to be held prior to its regular city council session on Jan. 6. The discussion will include a review of the city’s water and sewer rates. With the closing of Metevation, the city has asked the Michigan Rural Water Association to modify a recent water and sewer rate study which was completed prior to the completion of the 2013-14 budget. Council members will review the revised study and suggest a possible rate increase following their discussion.
The next regular meeting of the Vassar City Council will be held at 7 p.m. on Jan. 6 at Vassar City Hall.