Jay Khan sworn in as Keene mayor and lays out housing, economy and infrastructure priorities
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Summary
Jay Khan took the oath as Keene mayor at a Jan. 1 inauguration, delivered an inaugural address focusing on economic development, higher-education coordination, housing expansion, aging infrastructure and affordability, and asked the council to pursue residential revitalization and downtown infill.
Jay Khan was sworn in as mayor of Keene on Jan. 1, 2026, during a noon special meeting of the Keene City Council. A judge administered the oath before the council and assembled guests; the ceremony included an invocation and the Pledge of Allegiance.
Khan used his inaugural remarks to present five priorities he said should guide the council’s work: supporting local economic development through partnerships such as the Keene Area Manufacturing Consortium; coordinating with local higher-education institutions, including Keene State College, to address workforce and enrollment challenges; increasing housing options, especially downtown infill and cottage-court models; addressing aging infrastructure and single points of failure; and protecting affordability by working with state and regional partners. "I believe this council will also act upon the center city's potential for infill projects creating more downtown housing," Khan said.
The mayor also noted the city’s charter officers and staff—City Manager Elizabeth Furland, City Attorney Amanda Palmyra and City Clerk Terry Hood—and highlighted civic engagement efforts such as the mayor's youth council. He thanked community leaders who participated in the ceremony and urged new and returning councilors to take an active role in committees.
Before Khan’s address, Rabbi Daniel Aronson offered an invocation that recognized the area as the ancestral homeland of Abenaki, Pennacook and Wabanaki peoples and urged the council to "do justice and love kindness." The meeting closed after a benediction from Reverend Elsa Worth and an announcement that the council’s next regular meeting is Jan. 15, 2026.
The inauguration included the formal swearing-in of council members and a roll call to establish the council’s membership for 2026–27. The ceremony, remarks and ceremonial items were procedural but set the policy emphasis Khan expects the council to address in the coming year.