Bill Altenhof is officially the new Ward 2 councillor in Tecumseh, replacing the late Mike Rohrer.
Altenhof was sworn in on Tuesday night ahead of his first council meeting after winning a by-election on October 14.
He reached out to the Rohrer family in his prepared remarks.
Bill Altenhof is sworn in as the Ward 2 Councillor in Tecumseh on October 25, 2016. (Photo by Ricardo Veneza)
"To the entire Rohrer family, thank you for your prayers, words of encouragement and support," says Altenhof. "Your strength, faith, integrity and love are a true testament to the resilient and wonderful family that you are."
The election is an emotional occasion for Altenhof as he now sits in the seat of his late friend who suddenly passed in May at just 44 years old.
"I'm inspired by our friendship and your guidance," says Altenhof, remembering his friend Mike. "I will work diligently to serve the constituents of Ward 2 with the same integrity, passion, dedication and vision."
In the lead up to his first council meeting, a lot of information was thrown at Altenhof since his election as town staff worked to help him understand a number of key files.
"It's been very busy and rightfully so, it's a by-election so they want to get you up to speed as soon as possible," says Altenhof. "The administration and staff of Tecumseh have been great. The other fellow members of council have been great as well."
Altenhof won the Ward 2 seat by capturing nearly 50% of the vote in a by-election that included six candidates.