Standing Room Only As Oakland Officials Take Oath Of Office
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Janet Ross Caulder administered the oath of office individually to the mayor and board members. Pictured are, (from left) alderpersons Kenneth (Bud) Leland, Joe W. Jenkins, Terry Ellis, Mayor Stephanie Patterson, Sharonda Jones, and Marzet Bland.
OAKLAND – A standing-room-only crowd of family, friends, and Oakland residents attended the swearing for the mayor and alderpersons Friday evening, June 27. Mayor James Riley Swearengen, Oakland’s mayor for the past 36 years, welcomed the crowd and congratulated the winners of the election. Swearengen did not seek re-election.
Justice Court Judge Janet Ross Caulder administered the oath of office individually to Mayor Stephanie Patterson and board members Kenneth (Bud) Leland, Joe W. Jenkins, Terry Ellis, Sharonda Jones, and Marzet Bland.
Longtime Mayor Riley welcomed the crowd and congratulated the winners.
Patterson, the town’s first female mayor, thanked the community for their support and told the newly elected board that she looked forward to working with them to continue to promote Oakland. She said that former Mayor Swearengen will continue to be a resource and that she, like him, wanted to “leave it better than I found it.”
Patterson served one term on the Board of Aldermen before running for mayor. As a member of the Mississippi Municipal League, she became certified at the highest level of municipal training. Patterson, an Ole Miss graduate, earned a degree in Criminal Justice with minors in Psychology, Emergency Management, and Sociology.
The new term starts July 1 and extends until June 30, 2029.
A large crowd attended the Oath of Office Ceremony and reception that followed on Friday, June 27, at the Oakland Senior Citizen Complex.
