Saratoga Springs » Mia B. Love thanked those who helped her become the city's new mayor -- and will help her as she leads the city into "a bright future."
"As I look around, I am blessed to have so many good people around me," Love said after her swearing in before a crowd of more than 120 people at TalonsCove Golf Club on Friday night.
Love and Councilmen Michael D.S. McOmber and Jim I. Miller were sworn in by Justice Court Judge Keith M. Stoney.
Love's inauguration was historic for more than that she was replacing longtime Mayor Timothy Parker, who stepped down after a decade in office. She is also the first black woman to be elected as mayor of a Utah city.
But Love said running this northern Utah County city is not a job she's going to do alone. She sees herself as part of a team that includes the council, whose members she said she will be relying on for support.
"I'm depending on you to keep me grounded and keep me from going crazy," Love told the council members.
She promised she'll also tap Parker for advice as well.
Parker said the city's in good hands with Love at the helm. While bringing in a new mayor can be a "jolt" to a small town's government, Parker said Love's transition will be smooth, based on her six years on the council.
"She is switching seats and taking more responsibility," Parker said.
He symbolically turned over the mayor's office to her, switching his name plate out of a holder for Love's.
Love said the reality will likely hit her Monday, when she is determined to hit the ground running.
The invited guests at the swearing-in and the dinner afterward included U.S. Rep. Jason Chaffetz, R-Utah; Eagle Mountain Mayor Heather Jackson; and Orem Mayor Jerry Washburn. But two of the guests had particular reasons for being proud: Love's parents, Jean and Marie Bourdeau, who flew in from Connecticut for the ceremony.
"I'm pretty sure she has the blessing of God and will do good for the community," Jean Bourdeau said.
"I feel very proud of her," Marie Bourdeau added.
Jackson said she is looking forward to working with her new counterpart.
"It was exciting. It's a new era in Saratoga Springs," Jackson said.
Love also used the occasion to point to how the city is growing. She said the golf club will soon have a new restaurant, Walter's, and she encouraged people to support it and other city businesses.
