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Hickory swears in council members; Anthony Freeman named mayor pro tem and Tim Swanson city attorney

Hickory City Council · December 3, 2025

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Summary

At its Dec. 2 meeting the Hickory City Council administered oaths of office to newly elected and reelected members, unanimously elected Alderman Anthony Freeman as mayor pro tem for 2026 and appointed Timothy Swanson as city attorney; the meeting also included public comments on traffic safety and a request for a downtown supermarket.

The Hickory City Council administered oaths of office Dec. 2 to newly elected and reelected members and made leadership and commission appointments. Clerk Debbie Miller led the oath sequence for the mayor and council members; individuals sworn included the mayor (who identified himself in the oath sequence as Hank), Anthony Freeman (alderman, Ward 4) and Arnitta M. Hula (alderwoman, Ward 5), among others.

Following the oaths, Mayor Hank Gess moved to nominate Anthony Freeman as mayor pro tem for 2026. The motion was seconded and carried unanimously. The mayor then nominated Timothy (Tim) Swanson as city attorney for 2026; that nomination also received a second and was approved unanimously. Swanson was sworn in at the meeting.

The council also approved routine items including minutes from the Nov. 18 meeting and the consent agenda. Mayor Gess nominated Mandy Hildebrand as an at‑large member of the Public Art Commission; council seconded and approved the appointment.

During the 'persons requesting to be heard' segment, Lynn Dorfman (102 20th Ave NW) spoke on residential traffic safety, referenced a clarification from an NCDOT aide about default speed limits on state roads, thanked Mayor Gess for a Nov. 24 statement on federal activity in Hickory and congratulated the council. Michelle Tompkins (1 North Center Street) urged the council to consider attracting a downtown supermarket and offered to gather petition signatures. The meeting concluded after general council remarks and an adjournment vote.