Trenton council has new face, but not for top roles

By Denise Wilson, Staff Writer 11:47 PM Thursday, December 3, 2009

TRENTON — Two familiar City Council members have been chosen by their peers once again to serve the community as mayor and vice-mayor.

Rhonda Freeze and Calvin Woodrey were both re-elected as mayor and vice-mayor for 2010 and 2011 during council’s biannual election on Thursday, Dec. 3.

Freeze, who is in her 10th year on council, was elected to her third, two-year term as mayor by a 6-1 vote.

Woodrey, who just began his second year of a four-year term on council, was elected to his second, two-year term as vice-mayor by a 7-0 vote.

Freeze and Woodrey will both be officially sworn in as mayor and vice-mayor at the end of this year or early next year, said Patrick Binns, the city’s attorney.

“It’s an honor and privilege to serve as mayor and to have an opportunity to represent the constituents as the mayor in the different community events that as a mayor you would attend,” Freeze said.

As mayor, Freeze said it also is gratifying to her that council, regardless the issue, is always able to put the community first.

“Regardless of the issue, we are always able to have a discussion sometimes quite lively, but yet at the end of the day, we can agree to disagree, and we move on with no harm no foul,” she said.

Woodrey said he too feels it is a honor and privilege to be voted by his peers again to serve as vice-mayor.

“The vice-mayor’s position, although important, you’re basically just in stand-by mode in case he or she (the mayor) can’t fulfill their duties. Fortunately, she (Mayor Freeze) enjoys good health and she is very committed to her duties and serves faithfully, and she hasn’t missed a mayor’s court yet, ” he said.

Woodrey said he has only had to fill in for the mayor once in the past two years during a council meeting.

Ryan Montgomery, who was elected to council during the November general election, got to participate in the election during his first unofficial duties on council.

“They’re (Freeze and Woodrey) doing a good job so far and I don’t think we should really change much. If it’s not broke don’t fix it,” he said.

Montgomery is scheduled to be sworn onto council on Dec. 17.

Contact this reporter at (513) 483-5219 or dewilson@coxohio.com.

Share this article