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Kirksville council administers oaths, elects Zach Burden mayor and John Gardner mayor pro tem, affirms board assignments
Summary
At a special meeting the council administered oaths of office to two council members, elected council member Zach Burden as mayor and John Gardner as mayor pro tem, and approved councilmember appointments to city boards and commissions.
The Kirksville City Council administered oaths of office to two council members and then elected leadership and finalized council appointments to boards and commissions.
Diane, the city clerk, administered the oath to Zach Burden, who repeated the oath swearing to support the constitutions of the United States and the State of Missouri and to faithfully discharge the office of council member for which he was elected in April 2025. The council also administered the oath to Peter Hanson with similar wording.
After the oath ceremonies the council moved to elect officers. A council member nominated Zach (surname as stated in the oath), and he accepted the nomination. With no additional nominations, the council elected Zach as mayor for 2025–2026 by voice vote. The council then nominated John Gardner for mayor pro tem; Gardner accepted and was elected by voice vote.
Appointments to boards and commissions: the council voted to keep the current assignments in place. The mayor and mayor pro tem will continue to serve as the city’s representatives on the K Ready board by virtue of their positions. Council members confirmed they will continue on their listed boards and commissions (examples discussed at the meeting included planning and zoning, tourism, airport and transportation, and the parks and recreation commission). The council also designated alternates for the regional planning and solid waste management district; John Gardner and Mayor Zach will serve as alternates if needed.
Why it matters: swearing in council members and selecting council leadership sets the city's legislative leadership for the coming year and determines council representation on boards that oversee planning, transportation, tourism and other municipal functions.
Details: the oaths recited by each council member included a pledge to support "the constitution of the United States and of the state of Missouri, the provisions of all laws affecting cities of the third class and the ordinances of the City of Kirksville." The council also approved the slate of board and commission appointments by voice vote.
What’s next: the appointed representatives will continue to attend the respective boards and commissions; council members said they will proceed with their assignments through the next year.
