'I'm excited to serve this city I love'

MILTON — Milton made history Tuesday when Heather Lindsay was sworn in as the city's first female mayor.

Lindsay's children, Isabelle and Fox Gampher, and her father Allen Lindsay Jr., surrounded her as she took her oath of office at the City Council meeting. The council chamber was filled with about 100 people who cheered and shouted for Lindsay as she was sworn in.

"I am very excited to be serving this city I love," said Lindsay, who previously served as the city's attorney.

Outgoing mayor Wesley Meiss said he "couldn't have lost to a better opponent."

"I am leaving the city in good hands," he said.

After the swearing in ceremony, Lindsay and the newly-elected council members, George Jordan and Shannon Rice — along with re-elected council members Heather Hathaway and Sharon Holley — joined the remaining council members on the bench where Lindsay began by speaking on what she would like to see happen for Milton and for the council in the future.

Lindsay said she would like for the city and council to participate in a workshop on how the city works, along with ethics training.

"When I first became involved in the city serving on a committee, I learned a little bit about how the city works," she said. "As the years passed, I continued to learn, and one thing I really value about the city is how there is a process for city staff to educate council, and for council to ask to city staff to further study items that need to be studied so that before decisions are made, elected officials are well educated on those items."

Lindsay said there are many things that are important to city business, and that this workshop would help city employees and council members to better serve the city.

In addition, Lindsay said she would like to be fully updated on how the city is spending its tax dollars.

"[We would like to see it] in a format that gives a birds eye view," she said. "A quick snapshot to show how our tax dollars are being allocated with respect to assistance to nonprofits, and also with respects to our contracts with vendors."

Lindsay also appointed multiple council members to the following committees:

Councilmen Jeff Snow was appointed chair of the Public Works Committee
Councilman Casey Powell was appointed chair of the Finance Committee
Councilwoman Mary Ellen Johnson was made mayor pro-tem and chair of the West Florida Regional Planning Commission and LEAP Committees
Councilwoman Peggi Smith was appointed chair of the BARC and Parks and Recreation Committee
Jordan was made chair of the Growth and Development Committee
Hathaway was made chair of the Public Safety Committee
Rice was made chair of the Stormwater Committee
Holley was made chair of the Administration Committee and the representative for the Tourist Development Council
Lindsay appointed herself as a representative to the Transportation Planning Organization Committee

There are nine women leading Milton's city government out of a total 14 positions, which include eight council members, the mayor, city clerk, city attorney, city manager, executive assistant and public information officer. Those women are:

Dewitt Nobles, city clerk

Pam Haddan, executive assistant

Pamela Holt, public information officer

Shannon Rice, councilwoman

Sharon Holley, councilwoman

Heather Hathaway, councilwoman

Mary Ellen Johnson, councilwoman

Peggi Smith, councilwoman

Heather Lindsay, mayor

This article originally appeared on Santa Rosa Press Gazette: 'I'm excited to serve this city I love'