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Council bids fond farewell to Hall

(Oct. 13, 2016) While the standard procedure in Berlin is for newly elected members of the mayor and council to take office during the meeting immediately following the election, a quirk of code pushed the swearing-in ceremony back two weeks.
According to the code, elected officials assume office on the “next Monday on which a regularly scheduled meeting is held following [the] election.” Because of Columbus Day, Monday, the meeting was pushed a day later, to Tuesday, Oct. 11.
Mayor Gee Williams, who won his third consecutive term in office by besting challenger District 2 Councilwoman Lisa Hall, who vacated her seat to run, thanked Hall for her eight years of service on the council.
“Quite frankly, I think this has been a very productive team,” he said. “I think everyone here has contributed … we’re just part of the process, but I think Councilmember Hall has been an integral part of the success that we have achieved as a mayor and council.”
Williams added, “Every time one door closes another one opens.”
“On behalf of the mayor and council we wish you success with your new business venture, right down the street, the Berlin Butcher Shop, and we also wish you all the best as you now take on even the greater responsibility of those wonderful grandchildren.”
Others on the council echoed Williams’ words.
“I’d like to thank Lisa for all the input and all the knowledge that you shared with me when I first came in,” Councilman Thom Gulyas said. “For the last few years, you’ve been integral part in helping my knowledge as well as the rest of the mayor and council. You will be missed.”
What impressed him the most, Gulyas added, is how Hall has risen to the task of raising her grandchildren.
“I think that you have really stepped up to the plate doing that, because not a lot of people would do that,” he said. “Forget the mayor and council – you’ve opened a new business and now you’re raising four kids … that just blows my socks off. That’s amazing and I wish you every good success.”
Councilman Elroy Brittingham said he enjoyed working with Hall, while Councilman Dean Burrell added, “ditto, ditto, ditto.”
“Thank you for your commitment [and] service to the citizens of the town of Berlin, and I look forward to patronizing your butcher shop,” Burrell said.
“Well, as my husband would say, I look forward to getting in your pockets,” Hall said.
Hall, for her part, said he hoped the council would continue working with the Maryland Municipal League, with which she was heavily involved.
“It’s been a very pleasurable eight years,” Hall said. “It was [a] very difficult time when the mayor first got elected. It was a horrible time – it was probably the worst economy since the Great Depression. And had a lot of things ahead of us that seemed overwhelming.
“We were kind of like in our own little bubble here. We were very lucky,” she added. “We worked well together and we miss Councilmember [Paula] Lynch too. She was integral.”
Zackery Tyndall will take over the District 2 council seat during the next council meeting, Monday, Oct. 24.