Changing of the Guard: Harvey Ward sworn in as mayor, 3 others join City Commission

Friends, family and community leaders gathered on the lawn of the historic Thomas Center in downtown Gainesville Thursday to celebrate the swearing-in of a new majority on the City Commission.

It was the first time the city had four members take office on the same day.

One by one, standing beside loved ones, Mayor Harvey Ward and commissioners Bryan Eastman, Casey Willits and Ed Book raised their hands to take their oath before thanking those who helped them in their journey.

Mayor Harvey Ward

Ward, the only one of the group who was previously in office, was given a promotion by voters to the mayor's office after securing his victory in a run-off election against Ed Bielarski.

The 55-year-old commission member was born and raised in Gainesville but never envisioned a career in politics until being convinced by former city commissioner Warren Nielsen and the late LGBTQ activist Terry Fleming.

He was a member of the city's most experienced commission but now will lead what he called the "most talent-rich and diverse political bodies" residents could encounter.

"Our strength lies in the diversity of our personal stories, of our backgrounds and upbringings, of our various paths to the dais and of the constituencies we represent," he said. "Each of us wants the very best for each of our neighbors. That does not mean we should expect that our journey together will be a smooth one."

Ward said he hopes to respark collaboration with the other local government agencies that help make up the "Friendship Seven," which includes Alachua County, the University of Florida, Santa Fe College, Alachua County school district and local chamber of commerce.

He noted he already has less than 1,500 days left in office, a countdown clock he remembers so that he constantly knows his time is limited to accomplish the goals he has set forth.

"This is why I feel a sense of urgency to move forward on the policy goals that I, and many of us, campaigned on," he said.

Among Ward's campaign promises were to curb gun violence in Alachua County, address chronic homelessness, prevent pedestrian and cyclist deaths from traffic, as well as the continued development of east Gainesville − an area of town he grew up in.

"I recognize that I’ve outlined a great deal of work here, for our commission, for city staff, for other institutions and for all our neighbors, and that there is much more I have not mentioned," he said to the crowd. "I know I’m asking for hard work. ... We have the tools, the partners, the ability and the mandate from our neighbors to do the hard things.

"What Gainesville is NOT, is A Tale of Two Cities. That’s a rhetorical crutch and a lazy sociological shorthand. Gainesville is so much more than two cities. We are dozens of cities. We are old money and we are generational poverty. We are PhDs and we are functionally illiterate. We are symphony and ballet and we are tailgating. We are Gardenia and we are Featherwood. We are Pine Ridge and we are Golfview. We are Beatty Towers and we are Oak Hammock. We are all of these things and so many more, but we are one city."

District 2's Ed Book

Book, the police chief at Santa Fe College, started his speech by thanking the area's first responders for keeping the city safe, before thanking his wife and his mom.

Book, 59, has lived in Gainesville for roughly 40 years, spending 26 years working for the city and Santa Fe College for another decade. He said his campaign was centered around community interests and plans to work on civility, budget accountability and helping those who are in need during his four-year term.

"Community priorities are my priority," he said. "Your priorities are my priority."

Despite being the District 2 official, Book vowed to represent all city residents, regardless of boundary lines. He said he wants to ensure that locals hold him accountable throughout his tenure.

"We will occasionally disagree, we will," Book said about future debates with his colleagues. "And occasionally ... we' will fall short of your expectations. This happens. This is the nature of disagreement. So if I do, I'm totally comfortable with you holding me accountable. "

District 3's Casey Willits

Willits started off by thanking his supporters who helped him to office, as well as those who didn't vote for him but talked to him about their priorities. He shared a story about his father, who he said differs on local public officials, partially crediting his dad for helping him be on the stage Thursday.

"Every day, he shared his daily newspaper with me and from that local newspaper I learned that there were places out in the world that I knew nothing about but also places in my community that I did know a lot about," Willits said. "That paper and the geography is what opened me up to local government and politics."

Willits, who start his LGTBQ activism while in school, spoke about those who have been marginalized for too long.

His seat represents a portion of town that covers the University of Florida and renters, who he says represent roughly 60% of the city's residents. He said he plans to honor those people through his decision-making while on the commission.

"Gainesville belongs to all of us," he said.

Willits, 40, shared how he wants to make city streets safer for pedestrians and bicyclists. He read off some of the names of recent victims who lost their lives as innocent bystanders who were hit by vehicles.

He went on to say that an effective, self-government takes a collective body, and hopes the younger generation continues to make their thoughts on issues known.

"(Government) can't just be for the well-employed, or the well-educated, or the well propertied or the well-pensioned or the well-aged," he said. "If government is to be permanent, we can't have large portions, even the majority, be continuously forced to shrink themselves down until they disappear."

District 4's Bryan Eastman

Eastman is no stranger to politics but it's the first time he stepped into the political arena as a candidate.

Eastman, 33, lifted his right hand to take his oath of office, standing beside his wife and young daughter. The former campaign manager thanked his team and the voters for helping elect him.

"We won this at a grassroots level," he told the crowd. "We knocked on over 5,000 doors, about half of which was me personally. That was all because of an incredible team of passionate young people that really won this race."

He spoke about areas in dire need of being addressed, issues that directly affect the livelihood of area residents and ones he plans to make a priority while in office. Those issues include homelessness, a lack of quality affordable housing, environmental-friendly policies and safer streets.

"It is time for us to bring back a Gainesville designed for people," Eastman said. "One where I don’t fear letting my daughter walk or ride her bike to school in the morning."

This article originally appeared on The Gainesville Sun: Gainesville swears in Harvey Ward as mayor, 3 commissioners