MURFREESBORO – A new mayor and two new council members were sworn in to the Murfreesboro Town Council on Tuesday.

Lynn Johnson presided over her first meeting as mayor after defeating incumbent mayor Ben Mclean in November’s election. Sarah Wallace and Gloria Odom also participated in their first town council meeting after securing spots on the council during November’s election. Incumbents Billy Theodorakis and Bill Stephens remain on the council as well as Lloyd Hill, who was appointed earlier this year to fill Booker Daniels’ unexpired term before winning election to the council in November.

The first item the newly elected council considered was when to hold their meetings. “Can we make one meeting at night,” Wallace said.

Wallace suggested to continue hold the first meeting of the month on the second Tuesday at 1 pm, but hold the second meeting of the month on the fourth Tuesday at night.

“I think it would be good to make one meeting available to others who want to attend,” Stephens said.

“Years ago I was for a night meeting also and it was approved, but no one showed up,” Theodorakis said. “It poses a hardship for the people who work with the city and those people that come from out of town.”

“We have to pay the town employees to attend the night meetings,” Hill added.

“We should have meetings that are accessible to the working people,” Odom said.

The council voted to have the second meeting of the month on the fourth Tuesday at 7 pm, but agreed to review the meeting time after six months.

The new council also voted to appoint Stephens as Mayor Pro-Tempore and Johnson asked the council to consider appointing a third member of the council to serve in a leadership role in case the mayor and the mayor pro-tem were unavailable. The council elected Wallace to fill this role.

In other business, the mayor made new commissioner appointments. Johnson appointed Wallace as commissioner of public safety, police and emergencies/disasters, Theodorakis as public works, Odom as commissioner of town recreation and cemeteries, Hill as fire and public buildings, Stephens as commissioner of town employees and administration and Johnson will serve as the liaison to Chowan College, local schools, churches and the Economic Development Commission.