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Fredonia’s newest trustee, Timothy Mulholland, was sworn in Monday.
Mulholland began his first Board of Trustees meeting with an oath of office administered by Mayor Michael Ferguson and Treasurer Erlyssa LeBeau.
He said little throughout the meeting - until his allotted trustee report time. Then he offered a statement to the community.
"I just want to say what an honor it is to be here. Before I was appointed, I spent a lot of time reading, listening and asking the same questions many of you are asking," Mulholland began.
"During that time, I noticed something. I think there is a misconception about this job. Some people expect trustees to already have every answer about the issues, big and small. I don’t think my job here is to have all the answers. I think my job here is to do my homework, make thoughtful decisions for Fredonia, and explain them whenever I can."
Mulholland continued, "My promise to you as a dad, husband, taxpayer and now trustee is simple. I’m going to ask questions. I'm going to listen to people with different viewpoints, and I'm always going to keep my focus on what's best for our community."
Prior to Monday's meeting, Mulholland did something rather unusual for a local politician: He reached out to the OBSERVER with promises to offer it information. The new trustee also offered thanks for coverage of his appointment to the village board.
"I want to give you my personal email so if you ever have questions about me, my background, or my perspective on an issue, please don’t hesitate to reach out," Mulholland wrote. "I’d be happy to help provide context or answer questions."
He added, "For what it’s worth, while my professional background includes digital asset management and marketing/technology leadership, what brought me to the board is my interest in local government and my desire to serve Fredonia."
Mulholland was appointed by the board July 13 to fill the seat of Jon Espersen, who resigned.