Yuma City Council Inauguration 2010

It may not have been black tie, but Wednesday's inauguration of Mayor Alan Krieger and new council members had its own pomp and circumstance.

Krieger arrived at Yuma City Hall behind the wheel of a 1931 Ford Roadster, loaned to him by friends from Colorado.

With his wife, Mary, at his side, Krieger then greeted well wishers as he entered City Hall to take his oath of office in front of an overflow audience.

As Krieger took office, there was a sense of change that will be coming to City Hall and Yuma's municipal government.

"This is a new threshold for the city ... a time of change," said Capt. Jonathan Harvey of The Salvation Army in his invocation.

"This is an awesome moment for me," Krieger said after taking the oath of office. "I thank God for his providential care to bring me to this point."

He also expressed thanks for the support of his family, his campaign team and the community - and for the encouraging words he's heard.

"That warms my heart," he said. "Don't stop that."

Krieger, owner of a metal building contracting company, has said that he's been helping build Yuma since 1983 in the construction industry.

As a former council member who served one term from 2004 through 2007, he noted Wednesday evening that he had contributed to the community through the perspective of an elected official.

Now as mayor, he welcomes the opportunity to continue to build his adopted community in yet another capacity.

He prefers to see the challenges facing the city in the midst of the economic downturn as opportunities to redefine city government.

"We have the opportunity to revisit the structure and services and existence of municipal government," he said, "get back to the core and make sure we're doing it right."

As the loss of revenue is forcing change for city government, it also presents an opportunity for city residents to again take responsibility for themselves and their community, he said.

With that, he pledged to take the city in the "direction you want it to go," he told the audience. "Now it's time to get to work."

Along with Krieger, the oath of office also was administered by Superior Court Presiding Judge Andrew Gould to councilmembers Bobbi Brooks-Gurrola, Jerry Stuart and Paul Johnson as well as Presiding Municipal Court Judge Douglas Stanley.

Johnson, who was elected to his third term on the council, said it was good to see so many people attend the inauguration ceremony and demonstrate their care for the community.

"Thank you and I pledge to do my level best to get us through this tough time and make Yuma an even better place to live and raise kids," he said.

In his remarks, Stuart, who sought a return to the council after having previously served from 1992 through 1995, quoted Charles Dickens in "Tale of Two Cities:" "It was the best of times; it was the worst of times."

That, Stuart said, "sums up our situation here today. This mayor and council face unprecedented challenges in the coming years. ... This is going to be the point where the idealism of the candidates meets the reality of the job of the elected officials."

And that reality includes working together as a team, he said, teamwork that must extend beyond the boundaries of the city to include the county, the state and federal officials to get through the difficult years ahead.

Citizens need to be part of that team as well, Stuart said, urging residents to report vandalism, graffiti and crime.

Brooks-Gurrola acknowledged that she is the newcomer to the council. However, she is following in the footsteps of her father, a former councilmember.

"I know I have a lot to learn," she said. "I'm not afraid to ask why and how."

As a businesswoman - Brooks-Gurrola is the manager of Southgate Mall - she said she's also aware of the need to curb spending.

She also believes it's "up to us" to turn the economy around.

Stanley said its been a blessing to serve the community and pledged to continue to "uphold the office." He also expressed appreciation to the court staff for their level of commitment even in the face of cutbacks.

Joyce Lobeck can be reached at jlobeck@yumasun.com or 539-6853.