Mayor-elect James Davis and his City Council will be sworn in on Tuesday, July 1 in a public ceremony featuring county, state, and federal officials, his transition team announced Tuesday, June 24.
Former Bayonne councilwoman Mary Jane Desmond has been tasked with the planning and organization of the event.
The day will begin with a 10 a.m. Mass at St. Henry’s Church, 29th Street and Avenue C.
The transition of government will take place in the Bayonne High School auditorium at noon, according to Joe DeMarco, head of Davis’s transition team.
U.S. Sen. Robert Menendez will swear in the mayor and make remarks at the event, as will U.S. Representative Albio Sires and State Assembly Speaker Vincent Prieto. Congressman Donald Payne Jr. has also been invited to speak.
While the swearing in is open to the public, there will be limited seating in the auditorium itself, with some reserved seating for dignitaries. Once the auditorium is filled, those remaining can proceed to the Richard Korpi Ice Skating Rink in the high school complex, the overflow area, where the event will be telecast live.
No tickets are needed for either location.
“In keeping with the mayor’s election themes, it’s the people’s event; it’s open to everyone and will include everyone, which is why we’re making it as accessible as possible,” said DeMarco.
The ceremony is expected to last about one hour.
Those participating in the inauguration activities include a choir from Wallace AME Zion Church in Bayonne, and the color guards of the Bayonne Police and Fire departments.
Davis’s comments will echo his major themes of the last several months.
“He’ll speak about what he always talked about during the campaign; keeping with the mayor’s election themes, it’s the people’s event” DeMarco said. “The community coming together. Promoting the diverse nature of the city. And he will comment on the larger fact of Bayonne being part of the larger community in the county and the state. That’s why others are coming. So that’s going to be a main thrust.”
Davis is expected to cover myriad topics, including the overall future of Bayonne, development in the city, a possible community center, and the addition of recreational
fields, according to DeMarco.
Anyone seeking more information about the inauguration can email inaugural2014@gmail.com.
E-mail joepass@hudsonreporter.com.