Brunswick mayor and city Council members take oath of office

BRUNSWICK — Brunswick Mayor Ron Falconi and members of City Council took an oath of office Monday after being re-elected to their roles in the November election. Nancy Abbott, former chairwoman of the Medina County GOP, swore in Falconi. He began his first term as mayor in 2014 when he became the first Filipino-American mayor in the state of Ohio. He has also served Brunswick as a councilman at-Large and as a member of the Board of Zoning Appeals. "When people ask if I like being mayor, I tell them I love being mayor," he said. "I'm thankful for the people for giving me yet another four years to serve them. This is like the honor of a lifetime where I get to represent the 35,000 people of our great city, the whole city, in various functions." Falconi said being an elected official means being "accessible, present and connected" to constituents. "Serving as your mayor is not just a job," he said. "It's personal to me, and as long as I have the privilege and the honor of holding this office, I promise to lead with integrity, fairness and love of our great city." Councilman at-Large Joe Delsanter was sworn-in by state Rep. Melanie Miller, R-Ashland. He began his service to the city as Ward 3 councilman in 2003 and has served at-Large since 2018. "I can say that Brunswick is in a much better place today than the place I inherited 23 years ago," he said. "That's an important thing because it took the cooperation and the dedication of more people than me. The good news is that we are pointed in the right direction and growing in the right direction." Ninth District Court of Appeals Judge Betty Sutton swore-in Councilwoman at-Large Kristy Piper for her second term. Outside of her role on Council, Piper is a music teacher at Huntington Elementary School and is the vice president of the Brunswick Education Association. "It's been wonderful serving with (Council), and I'm looking forward to serving with you again," she said. "We did some great things for the city. I'm so proud of the fire station, the all-inclusive park, the improvements to our park trails, and I look forward to the parks master plan and putting that into action." Miller also swore in Councilman-at Large Tim Smith for his second consecutive term. He previously served on Council for five years, was the city's economic development director for six years and was a Medina County commissioner for two years. "This has been the best Council I've ever dealt with," he said. "These people from whatever party they're from, have just been very supportive of our city, and that's really how I count. How are you for our community? What can you do for our community?" Ron Falconi ran against Christopher Farrenholz for the Brunswick mayor race, while the race for councilman at-large was uncontested in the November election. "As we look ahead, my commitment is simple: to keep Brunswick safe and welcoming to families and businesses alike," Falconi said. "We will protect what makes the city special so that the next generation can love this city as much as I do." Contact reporter Madisyn Woodring at (330) 721-4049 or mwoodring@medina-gazette.com.