The City of Merritt held the inauguration of the new 2022 – 2026 Mayor and Council on November 1, 2022 at 6:00 PM in Council Chambers, followed by a Public Reception at 6:30 PM in Merritt Civic Centre.
Mayor and Council acknowledged the previous administration in attendance, and expressed appreciation for their hard work over the last four years.
Mayor Goetz took the oath of office, holding his granddaughter’s hand, as a symbol of his commitment to the citizens of Merritt. In his emotional address, he testified that he “would never want to disappoint her.” He continued, “Family is strength for me. A lot of us have gone through tough times the last 18 months. We are a resilient people. I am excited about this council. We cover a wide spectrum of expertise that this City needs. The mayor’s office is always open for the citizens. We are here to work for you and we have a lot of work to do. I am proud to be your mayor. Thank you for your continued support.”
Each of the six new councillors also spoke, reiterating much of the same sentiment. “It’s a privilege to work with such a great team.” “Thank you for your support.” “Thanks to Chief of the Coldwater band and their drummers.” “Dedication to this community.” “Shared community values of hardwork, fairness and responsibility.” “We can overcome challenges by working together.” “Thank you for this incredible honour and let’s get started.” “We look forward to making the daily lives of the citizens of Merritt better.” “With a team, we can achieve anything.” “Quoting Helen Keller, ‘alone we can do so little. Together, we can do so much’.”