By Amanda Raymond

amanda.raymond@salisburypost.com

SPENCER — The new mayor and Board of Aldermen for Spencer have taken their seats.

At the Spencer Board of Aldermen meeting on Tuesday, Jim Gobbel was sworn in as mayor.

The newly elected board, including Sylvia Chillcott, Kevin Jones, David Lamanno, Mike Boone, David Smith and Howard White, were also sworn in.

A motion by Mike Boone made Sylvia Chillcott, the top vote-getter in the election, mayor pro tem.

Judge Marshall Bickett swore in the new mayor and board members.

Former mayor Jody Everhart encouraged the new board to always keep the well being of Spencer in mind.

“We all worked together for the good of our citizens and our town, and that’s what I expect our next board to do,” he said.

Everhart said that he knows the new board will give 110 percent for the good of Spencer.

“I want to say thank you for the pleasure of serving and good luck to y’all,” Everhart said.

After thanking his family and friends for their support during his campaign, Gobbel thanked the citizens of Spencer.

“Most of all, I want to thank you, Spencer citizens, for having the trust in me to lead our town,” he said.

Gobbel stressed the importance of continuing to address the quality of life issues in residential areas and the revitalization of Spencer’s business districts.

“We’re living in a competitive society. We have a choice: we can be proactive and plan for our future or we will be left behind by our competitors, who are the other municipalities in our county,” he said.

Gobbel said he looked forward to working with the new staff and citizens to push Spencer forward.

“Through communication and teamwork, we can look forward to a bright future,” he said.

In other business, the board:

• Heard an update from the street department that said the trash pickup schedule will be unchanged for the week of Christmas and New Years, the leaf vac will run until the end of December and the water pressure may be low for the town tonight because of maintenance to a water main leak on Salisbury Avenue
• Approved a $250 end-of-year bonus for full-time town employees
• Accepted a $5,000 check from the Spencer Moose Lodge for body cameras for the Spencer Police Department

Contact reporter Amanda Raymond at 704-797-4222.