Edmonton has officially sworn in a new era of council. The capital city’s 12 councillors and new mayor, Andrew Knack, took their Oaths of Office at City Hall on Wednesday afternoon. Of the city councillors sworn in, eight incumbents were voted back and four are new. That includes Reed Clarke, who replaces Knack as councillor for Ward Nakota Isga, and Ward sipiwiyiniwak’s Thu Parmar, who beat out Darrell Friesen by around 600 votes. Also new is Michael Elliott, who was running in former city councillor Tim Cartmell’s open Ward pihêsiwin, and Ward Ipiihkoohkanipiaohtsi’s Jon Morgan, the only candidate to beat out a sitting incumbent. Knack became mayor-elect last week after winning 37.98 per cent of the vote. In his speech Wednesday, he reiterated his many priorities including affordability, safety, homelessness and his intention to connect with newly-elected leaders in the city. As the city enters the last year of a four-year budget cycle, Knack acknowledged council will not be able to do more than make some adjustments. “As has been the case every term that I’ve been on council, there’s usually not a large shift in the final year of a four-year budget,” he told media on Wednesday. He added he was “very excited” to be working with “such a great group of people.” “We’ve had opportunities already since I was elected to sit down one-on-one with every member of council and talk about what they heard about, what their issues are they want to work on, and how we’re going to work together to accomplish those things.” The swearing-in ceremony was followed by council’s first meeting as a group. Knack said he intends to release a strategic plan for council as early as next week.
