The following information was taken from minutes of the Board of Trustees and the Council of the City of Richmond dated August 14, 1905, and July 6, 1909, respectively.

On August 14, 1905, the first meeting of the Board of Trustees of the City of Richmond was called to order at 8:25 p.m. in the main office of the Critchett Building located at 224 Richmond Avenue. Trustees present were: Critchett, Babcock, Kenny, Garrard, and Curry. Trustee Garrard nominated Trustee Curry to be President of the City Board. The nomination was seconded by Trustee Kenny, and “Mr. Curry was declared elected and took the chair.”

A special election was held on February 9, 1909, and the qualified voters of the City voted in favor of and duly ratified the City Charter as proposed by the Board of Trustees. Section 1 of Article III of the Charter states that “All powers herein granted to and vested in the City of Richmond, except as herein otherwise provided, be exercised by a Council to be designated the Council of the City of Richmond . . .” As a result of the voters’ approval of the City Charter, the Board of Trustees became the Council of the City of Richmond. Section 3 of Article III of the Charter states that the Council shall be composed of nine members (At the November 2, 2004, Election and effective with the 2008 Election, the composition of the City Council was changed from nine to seven members).

An election was held on May 10, 1909, and the first Councilmen were elected. At the July 6, 1909, meeting of the Council, the City Clerk read Certificates of Election for the following Councilmen: Edward J. Garrard, John N. Hartnett, James C. Owens, Edward McDuff, Otto R. Ludewig, Homer Eugene Wyatt, John Joseph Dooling, Joseph Benjamin Willis, and Gerry Alton Follet. During the July 6, 1909, meeting the Council, by secret ballot, elected Councilman Joseph Benjamin Willis as the Presiding Officer of the Council to be known as Mayor of the City of Richmond.

Welcome and Introductions by: Mayor Tom Butt

Invocation: Pastor Ulis Redic

Mount Zion Baptist Church

253 5th St, Richmond, CA 94801

Best Wishes to Departing Councilmembers from: Mayor Tom Butt, Vice Mayor Nathaniel Bates, Councilmembers Demnlus Johnson, III, Eduardo Martinez, Senator Nancy Skinner, and Assemblymember Buffy Wicks

Acknowledgement of Service Awards to Councilmembers Ben Choi and Jael Myrick by: Mayor Tom Butt

Comments from: Councilmembers Ben Choi and Jael Myrick

Administration of Oath of Office and Presentation of Certificates of Election to: Melvin Willis, Gayle McLaughlin, and Claudia Jimenez by: City Clerk Pamela Christian

(Oath of Office will be administered individually)

Comments and Expressions of Appreciation from: Melvin Willis, Gayle McLaughlin, and Claudia Jimenez

Roll Call by: City Clerk Pamela Christian

Welcome to Re-elected/New Councilmembers from: Mayor Tom Butt, Vice Mayor Nathaniel Bates, Councilmembers Demnlus Johnson, III, and Eduardo Martinez

Closing Remarks from: City Manager Laura Snideman and Mayor Tom Butt

Adjournment by: Mayor Tom Butt

NEW COUNCIL

Mayor

Vice Mayor