Masters, Regina city council sworn in

Regina’s municipal government is heading in a different direction.

City council for the next four years was sworn in Monday night.

The council is led by new mayor Sandra Masters. Five of the councillors are also newly elected, while the other five served on the previous council.

Each of the 11 swore a declaration of office, before signing papers making their position official.

Mayor Sandra Masters makes the declaration of office. @CJMENews pic.twitter.com/dvqTcHaZvo

— Dom Lucyk (@DomLucyk) November 24, 2020

Masters spoke to reporters afterwards.

For her, it felt like reality was setting in after the election.

“(It feels) overwhelming … You’re excited that you win, and then you’re kind of overwhelmed with a sense of responsibility for what it is you have undertaken,” she said.

“(I’m) very nervous,” she said later with a chuckle.

Now, it’s time for council to get to work.

“Eleven of us have to come together to discuss the ideas and the priorities that each of us have and somehow figure out where we agree and align and move those issues forward. When we don’t, (we have to) open into respectful debate,” she said.

When questioned about the agenda for the first council meeting, Masters said the pandemic is an important topic to cover.

“COVID is ever-present and on the top of our minds, of course,” she said.

She also plans to establish more advisory committees.

Masters started to make changes before swearing the oath. She did not keep any staff from the mayor’s office who worked with former mayor Michael Fougere.

“It was, coming into office, the idea being that we will bring in our staff as we build out what our needs are,” she said.

The first meeting of this council is scheduled for Dec. 2.