(10/08) On October 3rd, an emotional Frank Davis, surrounded by his family, was sworn in by Frederick County’s Clerk of the Court, Sandra Dalton, as the newest Mayor of Emmitsburg.

Davis, who won an overwhelming victory in the Town’s September election, promised the Town Council and staff that, "this is going to be a great ride."

Since the election, Davis said that he had been in almost non-stop talks with residents and town staff discussing a number of ideas and projects that he and the town are excited to explore.

"My approach is a team approach. We either win or lose as one." Davis said. "I will try and sell you my new approach in the upcoming weeks."

Davis’s first order of business as Mayor was to hold a meeting with the entire staff to hear firsthand the issues they were facing and to get their ideas on how they feel they could be solved.

The meeting was taped and forwarded to the entire Town Council, part of Davis’s philosophy of going above and beyond to keep them informed and sharing information from the first day forward. "I think it’s important that we all get the same information in a timely manner," he said.

Davis plan to follow up with each staff member for one-on-one meetings to learn more about their jobs, what they feel we can do to improve our town and learn about them as a person.

Davis praised both outgoing Mayor Don Briggs and Commissioner Joe Ritz for their years of service to the town. He complemented Briggs for fulfilling the vision he campaigned with when Briggs was first elected in 2011. "…you executed your plan, and Emmitsburg will always be grateful to you and your family."

Davis thanked Ritz, who Davis had sat next to for the past four years on the Council: "From the bottom of my heart for teaching me the ropes of governing our town. Your work ethic is second to none. You were always prepared to talk about the matter at hand with an open mind and always wanting the end goal to benefit the citizens of Emmitsburg. I wish you were along for this next ride but I have your phone number and I know where you live. Love you brother."

Davis’s first official act as Mayor was to swear in Pembrook resident Valerie Turnquist who won the seat formally occupied by Joe Ritz. Turnquist’s family proudly looked on as she took her oath of office, and true to her character, promptly took her seat on the dais, and smiled at her fellow council members, and said, "Let’s get down to business."

Valerie’s first agenda item is to tackle is the recent water rate increases saying a "36% water increase per year for the next five years is not sustainable to the town residents and businesses. To get things done, we will need to look closely at our budget and prioritize where we invest money. We need to look for creative solutions and be cognizant of where we’re spending taxpayer dollars."

Turnquist has stated that she wants to hear from citizens and business owners, the good and the bad. She has received a lot of feedback already on parking issues, childcare, dangerous traffic spots in town, and the list goes on. At a minimum Turnquist said, "we need to start posting the minutes on the town website again. We can’t operate in a vacuum and expect to succeed."