by Mike Sharkey
Staff Writer
City Council President-elect Ronnie Fussell’s installation as Council president is set for tonight at the Osborn Center. There’s only one problem — the guest of honor may not be there.
Fussell filed an excused absence for Tuesday’s Council meeting due to an illness. As of Wednesday afternoon, Fussell was still quite sick and his assistant said his doctors aren’t sure what’s wrong. His excusal is dated Monday at 9:30 a.m.
Tonight’s installation will also see Council member Richard Clark sworn in as Council vice president. Both will be sworn in by Donald Moran, chief judge for the Fourth Judicial Circuit.
Fussell said recently tonight’s ceremony will be relatively calm. There’s a meet-and-greet before the ceremony at The Times-Union Center and a dessert reception afterwards.
Council Director Cheryl Brown — who helps coordinate the installation — said she knows of Fussell’s condition, but hasn’t been told anything about canceling it.
“No one has told me anything other than he’ll be here,” said Brown. “We’re a go.”
Fussell officially takes over July 1. One of his first orders of business will be to appoint chairs to lead the Council standing committees and the members of those committees. Finance chair is generally regarded as the highest profile of those appointments. However, as Council president, Fussell has the right to alter the committees in several ways — from the number of members to when they meet and on what day, to even the names of the committees.
The Council is currently on its summer break and won’t meet again in any capacity until mid-July.
356-2466