New Decatur City Council members sworn in; president chosen

DECATUR, Ala. (WAFF) - Dozens of people came out to Ingalls Harbor Monday night to celebrate a new chapter of leadership for the River City.

The new Decatur City Council now has the longest serving member and only returning Councilman, Billy Jackson.

Decatur also has the youngest person to ever win a seat on the council, Hunter Pepper. All the new council members we spoke with say they’re eager to get to work for the city.

Four new members were sworn in tonight. The youngest is District 4 councilman, 18-year-old Hunter Pepper.

“You now have a voice. I’m here to talk to you, I’m here to listen to you. I’m here to do what I can to help you solve your problems,” Pepper said.

Decatur native Kyle Pike representing District 2 says he’s excited about the future growth.

“A lot of untapped potential and a lot of things to get straightened out and work on for the future. So I’m excited about the opportunity to have an impact on all of that," Pike said.

Councilman Carlton McMasters for district three was also sworn in.

The new council’s first order of business? Electing a council president. That job went to district five councilman Jacob Ladner.

“We could be collaborative and listen to each other instead of kind of fighting. And that’s why I decided to run. There was something kind of missing from the council,” Ladner said.

Mayor Tab Bowling also renewed his oath as Mayor. He added communication will be the key to the council’s success.

“The primary thing that all of us will need to do is strong communication. Communication is what will allow us to be effective for the residents.”

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