Aberdeen’s new mayor and city council were sworn in Monday evening, just after two outgoing council members with some 35 years in city government between them bid farewell.

Ron Kupferman, who was first elected to the council in 1978, and Mike Hiob, who served six years. were both gracious while stepping down. Kupferman lost his re-election bid in the Nov. 3 city election, while Hiob was unsuccessful in his bid for mayor.

Kupferman thanked the department heads for establishing good rapport and congratulated his opponents in the election, newcomers Sandra Landbeck and Bruce Garner.

“You guys ran an excellent campaign, and welcome to this council,” he said. “I hope you have two successful years, get a lot of legislation through and move the city of Aberdeen forward.”

Hiob thanked the residents who voted and supported him.

“Without your support, we could not have even attempted to take on a campaign of this magnitude,” he said.

He said he also truly enjoyed his time on the council.

“Some decisions were tough and some were easy, but at the end of the day, I know I leave with my integrity intact,” he said. “I want to thank everyone for the privilege of allowing me to serve on the Aberdeen City Council for the past six years. It has been an honor.”

He added that his children will have to get used to his hanging around more often and he may now be able to dust off his guitar and harmonicas.

“Even though the election did not end up as I would have hoped, there are many positive things for me and my family to my not coming out on top,” he said.

The official vote tallies were also released, showing that Mayor Mike Bennett was re-elected with 986 votes, while Hiob received 741 and Barbara O. Kreamer 139.

For the council, Ruth Elliott was elected with 1,239 votes, Garner was next with 1,126, Landbeck followed with 1,081 and incumbent Ruth Ann Young won he final seat with 1,017.

Kupferman was next with 970 votes, Zenobia Todd was next with 441 and Trudie Norman received 286.

Election officials said 1,891 people voted, about 21 percent of those eligible.

A fresh start

City manager Douglas Miller welcomed the new council before him on the dais and noted the success of the election process.

“I would like to publicly commend the Aberdeen Board of Elections for organizing a very efficient election,” he said, thanking the 24 residents who volunteered for the effort. “We were very pleased with the efficiency of the day and again, we had a lot of good people help us do that.”

Elliott gave a brief mention of those who gave a “110 percent effort” in her campaign.

“I just wanted to thank everyone who supported me in this election. I could not have done it without you,” she said.

Landbeck thanked those who came up to her in area stores and encouraged her to run.

“I am so grateful to those who are here this evening to witness this,” said the 18-year planning commission member. “I am here to serve. I want to thank the staff that is here and hope that I can have a good relationship with you. Some I have worked with for many years, and I hope that continues.”

Young read a quote from the book “The 100 Simple Secrets of Successful People,” by David Niven, about the importance of interdependence.

“No one is completely on their own. For all the power of the American individualistic spirit, no one has succeeded alone,” she read, adding she thanked “one and all” for re-electing her.

“I feel this council has an opportunity to work as a team,” she said. “I look forward to the next two years, both with its challenges and its opportunities.”

After being unable to campaign in the previous election for health reasons, Garner said he thanked God for getting his health back.

“There’s a lot of good people in this city and they have expressed their wishes. We will see what we can do for them,” he said. “I want to thank the citizens for participating the way they did. I thought it was a very good turnout for this type of election.”

Bennett announced the city will get a new boost in funding for its wastewater treatment plant upgrade.

The state will give the city an additional $1.5 million grant toward the project, he said.

The mayor also said he had a long speech ready but decided to cut it down to a few words.

“I am very honored that you have chosen me to lead this city for the next two years,” he said, adding that he promises to serve with impartiality and to help all residents. “We have a lot of challenges ahead of us. We have a BRAC moving in and we have to continue to watch that.”

He gave a nod to his fellow council members, including the newcomers.

“Thank you all for your confidence, and let’s get going.”

user comments (0)