Newly-elected Dalton City Council member Nicky Lama was sworn in at Monday night’s meeting of the mayor and council. Lama was elected on Nov. 7 as the representative for Ward 2 to complete the unexpired term of Annalee Sams who resigned earlier this year to run for mayor.
Lama was sworn in by Terry Miller, the city’s attorney, at the beginning of the meeting while a gathering of his family and friends watched and applauded. After taking the oath, Lama joined the rest of the council on the dais and participated in the rest of the meeting’s lengthy agenda.
“I’m just proud to be able to have the opportunity to serve our community,” Lama said after winning election. “I’m very excited to be able to work with our current council and continue the good things that Dalton has been working on.”
Because Lama was elected to fulfill that unexpired term, he was able to begin his service immediately and not wait until Jan. 1. Mayor-elect Sams and reelected council members Dennis Mock and Tyree Goodlett are expected to take their oaths of office and begin their terms at the council’s first meeting of 2024 which will be on Jan. 8. The council typically meets on the first and third Mondays of the month but in January the meetings will be on Jan. 8 and Jan. 16 to avoid conflicts with the New Year’s Day holiday and the Martin Luther King Jr. Day holiday.
