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Milford City Council swears in new members and holds mayoral election
Summary
At its Jan. 6 meeting, the Milford City Council administered oaths to newly seated members, approved a motion allowing mayoral and vice mayoral nominees brief remarks, and voted to elect the nominated candidate for mayor; the transcript shows inconsistent name spellings for the elected official.
The Milford City Council on Jan. 6 administered oaths to newly seated council members and held nominations and a vote for mayor.
Council opened the meeting with the Pledge of Allegiance and a moment of silence, took roll call and then approved a motion to allow anyone seeking nomination for mayor or vice mayor two to three minutes at the podium to introduce themselves. The motion was moved by the speaker who initiated the motion and seconded by the member administering the oath; the recorded vote on that procedural motion was Parrish — yes; Velardo — no; Price — yes; Thompson — yes; Barney — yes; Brown — yes; Russell — no, and the motion carried.
The council then administered the oath of office to new members. During the oath sequence, two individuals who recited the oath and were named in the record are Mike Brown and Sandy Russell. Officials completed signatures and paperwork after the swearing-in.
Several councilmembers then put themselves forward for nomination for mayor. Ralph Filardo Jr., identifying himself as a 60-year resident with prior council service, said the job would be "my utmost honor to serve as mayor of this incredible community" and emphasized communication and representing the community. Christopher Parish, who said he has served on council and as vice mayor, said he would prioritize transparency and communication and cited upcoming city items including the water tower on Wallace, settlement funds and seeking grant funding for amenities such as pickleball courts.
A council member nominated the candidate recorded in the transcript as "mister Villardo" for mayor and the nomination was seconded. The vote record shows: Russell — yes; Parrish — no; Velardo — yes; Thompson — yes; Brown — yes. The motion passed. The transcript later includes congratulations addressed to "mister Merrick," and the record therefore contains inconsistent name spellings for the person congratulated; the council declared the nominated candidate elected and offered congratulations in the meeting.
The newly sworn or newly elected member thanked colleagues and expressed a commitment to serve. The meeting proceeded with routine business after the election.
Why it matters: The council’s internal leadership selections shape how the body communicates with residents and steers priorities; the newly chosen mayor and the freshly sworn members will participate in upcoming projects the council identified, including water infrastructure work and grant-seeking for recreational facilities.
What’s next: The council continued with its agenda after the election; no further formal actions on these items were recorded in the provided transcript excerpt.
