FAIRMONT — For the first time in its 124 year history, Fairmont has its first female mayor.
Tuesday night, Fairmont City Council held its organizational meeting to swear in all newly-elected and reelected councilmembers. Six of the nine councilmembers took the oath of office.
Four of the six sworn in Tuesday were newly-elected in November. Kandi Nuzum, representing district 9; Bruce McDaniel, representing district 8; Chuck Warner, representing district 5; and Rebecca Moran, representing district 3.
Councilmember Josh Rice and Nicky Cinalli were reelected and were sworn in also.
After the swearing in, the council was tasked with selecting a mayor to act as chair of the council. Councilmember Anne Bolyard, who is only in her third year as a councilmember, was the sole nomination and was elected to the seat unanimously. She is the first woman to hold the title of mayor in Fairmont’s history, according to City Clerk Janet Keller.
“She is the first, yes,” Keller said. “We’ve had plenty of female deputy mayors, but never a female mayor.”
After the vote passed, Bolyard took the mayor’s seat and conducted the rest of the meeting. The next item was to elect a deputy mayor. Councilmember Rice was the only nomination and was also elected unanimously.
After those proceedings, council took a 10 minute break before beginning the first official meeting of the year.
During the break, Bolyard expressed her excitement to hold the position and her hopes for the next two years she will hold the seat.
“This is just an additional way I can serve the city in partnership with the leadership of our city manager and the other amazing city councilmembers we have,” Bolyard said. “I hope [council] continues to bring our wealth of diversity and perspectives and that we understand we are united in supporting the City of Fairmont.
Since the 1970s, the position of mayor is more ceremonial and usually serves as a mediator and conductor during council meetings. For all other matters, the mayor is just another vote on the council.
Even so, since the City of Fairmont was chartered in 1899, a woman has never held the title of mayor. Bolyard said she’s honored to be the first.
“I’m the first in the 124 years of history. I’m very honored and I understand that this paves the way for other leaders,” Bolyard said. “It’s truly an honor.”
Once the official proceedings began, public comment opened and a Fairmont resident pled with council regarding the fate of the Ogden House on Quincy Street.
Terry Burton, a former owner of the property, spoke to council and pled that the city step in to do something about the home once owned by the Ogden family, owners of the Ogden newspaper company.
Burton laid out the numbers and said the house is all but gone.
“You’ve lost the house. You’ve lost a piece of history,” Burton said. “The investment to totally fix the building would be about $165,000. Who on earth is going to have that sort of money to do it?”
The man who currently owns the property lives in Chicago. Burton said the current owner has only visited the property three times since Burton sold it to him 26 years ago.
City Attorney Kevin Sansalone said that the city has pursued the owner to either repair or demolish the property and he has failed to attend any of the three hearings. There is currently a warrant out for the owner’s arrest.
After public comment, there were only two major items of business on the agenda. Both were to set public hearings for proposed ordinances.
The first was an ordinance that would allow for the dedication of streets in the “Speedway Business Park” on East Side. The second was to allow the city to purchase several properties that owe back taxes. The public hearing for both will be held at the council’s next meeting on Jan. 24.
