DANVILLE (WSLS 10) - Danville has a new mayor and vice mayor.
On Friday, city council members chose councilman John Gilstrap to serve as mayor and councilman Alonzo Jones as vice mayor. They will serve as mayor and vice mayor respectively for the next two years.
Gilstrap takes over for councilman Sherman Saunders, who had served as mayor since Jan. 1, 2008. Gilstrap has been on council for six years and this is his first term as mayor.
He says he is looking forward to helping council work through the cities problems.
"As a team, nine of us [council members] plus city staff, will address those problems and we're going to make this place a really great place to live," Mayor Gilstrap said. "It already is, but we're going to make it a lot better."
Vice Mayor Jones takes over for councilman Gary Miller, who had served as vice mayor for the past four years. Jones has been on council for six years and this is his first term as vice mayor.
He wants to focus on economic development and improving the literacy rate in the city.
"It's no secret, I served on the school board for six years and I want to see us collaborate. We have a serious issue in our community with reading," he emphasized. "I want to work more closer with our public school system. I want us to unite, work together."
Gilstrap and Jones's selection as mayor and vice mayor took place during the city's inauguration meeting.
The meeting is held every two years for the public swearing-in of winners of the city council election held in May, selection of a mayor and vice mayor, and issuance of seat assignments for each council meeting.
The mayor and vice mayor positions are selected from the sitting city council members to serve two-year terms. Councilman Fred Shanks nominated Gilstrap as mayor.
Gilstrap won in a 6-3 vote, with Gilstrap voting for himself and receiving the support of Jones, Shanks, James Buckner, Lee Vogler and Madison Whittle. Miller voted for himself and received the support of Campbell and Saunders.
For vice mayor, Vogler nominated Jones. He was unopposed.