Her inauguration as president follows a tumultuous year for the council, marked by dysfunction and public scandal, and a historic preliminary election in September, in which voters rejected two incumbents, Kendra Lara and Ricardo Arroyo.
Louijeune said she hopes councilors will be able to “disagree ferociously without creating an environment of distrust among colleagues.
“In the last few years, we saw a lot of back-and-forth bitter remarks made . . . from one councilor to another that were, I think, misplaced or had no room in the chamber,” she said. “Hopefully, we get less of the acrimony.”
She said “trust is always something that you earn,” and she hopes the council can restore its reputation among voters.
Louijeune said she intends to focus on Boston’s housing crisis and improving city schools, as well as less “attractive” issues, like ensuring neighborhoods have a reliable waste-management system.
Louijeune was elected and sworn in at the council’s first meeting of 2024, following an earlier ceremony in which Mayor Michelle Wu swore in new members at Faneuil Hall.
Louijeune told the Globe in November that she had sufficient backing from her colleagues, but she did not provide a breakdown of that support. Monday morning, she ran unopposed.
Councilor Gabriela Coletta nominated Louijeune. She noted that Louijeune is the council’s first Haitian-American member, and the vote took place on Haitian Independence Day. The nomination was met with roaring applause.
Flynn, the outgoing president, nominated councilor Julia Mejia.
“While I do appreciate Councilor Flynn putting my name out there, I respectfully decline,” Mejia said when asked if she accepted the nomination. “I think it’s important for us to recognize that this moment, in this body, requires us to really bring everyone together, regardless of our political differences.”
She said councilors, and the body as a whole, have a responsibility to reflect their constituents.
“Because of that, the only people that I want to speak on behalf of are the people that put me here,” Mejia said.
The president, typically selected at the start of each council’s term in January, is the ceremonial leader of the body.
A council president can create new committees if they so choose; typically the president will preside over full meetings of the body. The president can also choose which council committees receive specific line items the council is considering. And, if the mayor is unable to serve for any reason, or if the position becomes vacant, the council president steps into that role.
Louijeune said it is important to remember that, despite the title, “I am no one’s boss.”
At Monday’s council meeting, Wu congratulated the council and said City Hall is a “sacred space” where all citizens’ voices are heard, and said that commitment to belonging is reflected in Louijeune. Wu told the chamber she could not wait to work alongside the new president.
“I’m thrilled to see Ruthzee’s leadership and hard work recognized by her Council colleagues, and I look forward to the new energy of this Council in moving forward on the issues that matter for our residents,” Wu said in a statement Monday night.
Prior to her election to the at-large seat, Louijeune served as senior counsel for Democratic Senator Elizabeth Warren’s presidential campaign, according to a Monday release.
Daniel Kool can be reached at daniel.kool@globe.com. Follow him @dekool01.
