A packed room of Foley officials and staff gathered Monday, Nov. 3, as Mayor Ralph Hellmich and city council members were sworn in for a new four-year term.

Hellmich begins his second term, joined by council members Wayne Trawick (returning), Timothy Lower (new), Roderick Burkle (new), Larry Engel (new) and Charles Ebert III, who will continue as council president pro tempore. City court officials, executive directors and department directors also took their oaths.

Baldwin County District Attorney Robert Wilters administered the ceremony.

Hellmich thanked the new and returning officials for their service, saying, "I appreciate each and everyone stepping up. Public service is not easy. You're going to have a lot of different opinions coming to you from folks that like to see things different or stay the same. So we thank you for giving your time. I want to thank your families because it is a team effort to get this done because you get a lot of calls at home, and you're going to spend a lot of time working with the city."

Wilters added, "To all those who have worked with the city and have worked with the city all these years, thank you all for what y'all do. It's a good, safe place to live, and we appreciate that. We who live in Foley appreciate it."