Newly elected officials took their Oath of Office on Thursday morning in Marshall County Superior Court No. 3 with Honorable Judge Matthew Sarber officiating.
Officials who took their Oath of Office Thursday were Stan Klotz, Robert Huff, Todd Huff, Marie Fishburn, Nicole Cox, Adam Faulstich, Amy Knapp, Tim Kazanecki, Janet Howard, Jenny Bennett, Kevin Falk, Deborah Johnson, Will Patterson, David Stultz, Stephen Wilhelm, Matthew Hassel, Stacey Patrick, Danny Bates, Stephen Barber, Peter Paul, James Baldwin, and Emily Haskins.
All the candidates who were successful in the 2022 election to begin their terms in 2023 rose from their seats, raised their right hand and took the oath: I, (name), do solemnly swear or affirm that I will support the Constitution of the United States and the Constitution of the State of Indiana and that I will faithfully, impartially, and diligently discharge the duties of the Office of (state your office), according to law and the best of my abilities.
Judge Sarber expressed his congratulations, welcomed them to public service, and encouraged all those who will be taking office to enjoy the journey. As a student of history before he completed Law School, Judge Sarber reflected on some words of Edmund Burke. “Edmund Burke was one of the foundational people talking about Representative Government. There’s two models of Representative Government – there is the Trustee Model and there’s the Delegate Model. You are going to have to battle with that. The Trustee Model is you are who you are – the election process happened and you will have to represent individuals who elected you with your abilities and you make the decisions. The Delegate Model is you are there essentially to do whatever they want you to do. There is a tension there because you have to make the decisions according to what you want and your constituents expect their rights to be heard. So, wrestle with that but enjoy it – because after all it’s going to be fun, it’s going to be exciting, and the people have elected you to serve the office. I congratulate all of you.”
Officials who still need to complete their service in another office will swear in tomorrow evening at the close of the official work day and before the New Year starts. Other officials who were not present Thursday have already sworn in or made arrangements to swear in by Friday evening.
Article and photo provided by Jamie Flury, a staff writer for the Pilot News.
