Irving council certifies May 2 election results and administers oaths to newly elected officials

The Irving City Council on May 13 formally canvassed the results of the May 2 municipal election and approved the returns in a hand vote that the presiding officer announced passed unanimously.

After the canvass, city staff conducted a ceremonial swearing-in. Shanae Smith read the statement of elected official and administered the oath for council offices and the mayor. Council member for District 5 repeated the oath and was congratulated; Fahad Ahmad repeated the oath for Single Member District 6 and was sworn in. Council member Calvin Harris was congratulated on what the record described as a second term.

Why it matters: Certification of the canvass finalizes the official election results and the oaths transfer authority to the winning candidates so they may assume official duties immediately.

Council procedure: A motion to approve the canvass was made and seconded, followed by a hand vote. "It passes unanimously," the presiding officer said after the vote.

What was said: During the ceremony Shanae Smith read the statutory oath of office, which includes the pledge to "preserve, protect and defend the Constitution and the laws of the United States and of this state." New and returning officials repeated the oath aloud.

Next steps: With the canvass approved and oaths administered, the newly sworn officials are authorized to perform duties of their offices. No further action on the canvass was recorded at the meeting.

(Attributions: statements and quotes in this article are taken from the meeting transcript; attributions map to the meeting speaker list.)