By Krystal Smalley
ksmalley@wbcowqel.com
The New Year will hopefully see a new Galion City Council spreading its wings as it settles into its first official full term as a statutory form of government.
Municipal Court Judge Sean Leuthold swore in Mayor Tom O’Leary, Council President Don Faulds, Law Director Thomas Palmer, Auditor Brian Treisch, 1st Ward Councilmember Eric Webber, 2nd Ward Councilmember Steve Rowan, 3rd Ward Councilmember Michael Richart, 4th Ward Councilmember Carl Watt, and Council-at-large members Shirley Clark, Jon Kleinknecht and Thomas Fellner.
Palmer had defeated former Law Director Roberta Wade in the November election. Watt is also a newcomer on the board after running uncontested.
Rowan has only had four months of Council experience under his belt when he replaced former councilmember Walter Keib but he is ready to take on the new term.
“All I can say is I’ll do the best I can for the people of this town and my ward,” said Steve Rowan. “It’s going to be interesting. I was under the charter, under the mayor form of government, so we’ll see how this goes.”
Fellner, who will be going into his second term as a Galion City Council member, seemed to echo Rowan’s sentiments.
“It really is a privilege. I know that’s cliché but it really is. I also am looking forward to turning around the people that were negative against the statutory form of government to show that it can work for the benefit of the city. So that’s what I’m most happy about.”