The Ironton City Council will have an organizational meeting at 7:30 p.m. tonight.

“By City Charter at the organizational meeting, we swear in new members and then the new council decides who is going to be their clerk, the city solicitor, the prosecutor, and the finance director,” said Vice Mayor Craig Harvey. Council members will then be appointed to positions in the Public Utilities committee, the finance committee, annexation committee, industrial and commercial development committee, and parks and recreation committee.

Unlike other council meetings, there will not be any ordinances on the agenda or a time for audience participation from the public.

“This is a formal ceremony, no actual business takes place other than the council appointing positions,” Harvey said. “It’s more of a picture taking opportunity for the families. Like Nate Kline, this is his first time on council, so I encouraged him to bring his family and get some photos.”

In the Nov. 7 election, Harvey was the top vote getter with 1,517. Kline came in second for most votes with 1,435. Bob Cleary, who has spent 30 years in Ironton office, 24 on council with 12 years as vice mayor and six years as mayor, got 1,255 votes. Beth Rist came in fourth with 1,187 votes, for a third term on council.

Since Councilman Kevin Waldo won the race for Ironton Municipal judge in the November election, he will have to resign from council and the council will have to once again pick a new member to fill his two year unexpired term. That won’t be done at tonight’s meeting.

“Not until he resigns,” Harvey said. “I asked him and he doesn’t take office until January and he hasn’t said when he will resign, so I imagine we will have Kevin through December.”

Waldo will serve as the vice-mayor until his resignation at the January meeting, since he was the top vote getter in the last election. Rich Blankenship will take over the position upon his resignation.

“Once the new council is sworn in January, it will be me again,” Harvey said.