Danielle Brown was elected and sworn in as president of the Mount Vernon City Council at the statutory meeting on Jan. 2, 2025. The council also approved its rules of order for 2025 and voted to appoint Nicole Bonilla as deputy city clerk; a separate motion to adopt The Journal News as the council's official newspaper was deferred for a later vote.

Brown, who was out of the country, was sworn in on a pre-recorded video and delivered brief remarks to the meeting. "This role I take home with humility and commitment, and I thank you for your faith in my leadership," Brown said in the taped message. She said she hopes the council will adopt a comprehensive plan and hold departments accountable during the coming year. "Let's make this year one of progress, partnership, and promise," she added.

The council completed several officer elections at the start of the meeting. Councilman Derek Thompson was chosen as acting president pro tempore, and Councilman Ed Poteet was elected president pro tem. Roll calls recorded at the meeting show the three council members present at those votes (Jevon Boxhill, Derek Thompson and outgoing Council President Caitlin Gleason) voting in the affirmative on the officer elections.

On routine business, Councilwoman Caitlin Gleason moved an ordinance approving the council's rules of order for 2025; the ordinance passed by roll call with the same three members recorded as voting aye. The council then approved a resolution appointing Nicole Bonilla as deputy city clerk; Bonilla repeated the oath of office before the body after the vote.

A motion to adopt The Journal News as the council's official newspaper was made and received an initial roll call. The recorded votes showed Councilman Jevon Boxhill and acting pro tem Derek Thompson voting aye and Council President Gleason voting no. The presiding member said the measure would require a second vote and would be scheduled again later in the year.

Comptroller Darren Morton addressed the meeting in introductory remarks about the city's finances, describing the 2025 city budget as "a lean budget in the sense that we have to manage it well" and urging fiscal oversight and tax-collection efforts as priorities. Other elected officials present offered ceremonial remarks of support for the incoming council president and for cooperative work with county and state partners.

The meeting concluded with a moment of silence for three recently deceased local figures and a motion to adjourn, which passed by roll call. The statutory meeting lasted about an hour and covered officer elections, committee assignments, housekeeping rules and several brief confirmations of appointments.