New City Officials to be Sworn In and Mayor Selected

The campaign is over and the work begins for new city officials on Dec. 4, when the Concord City Council will host a swearing-in ceremony and salute outgoing Vice Mayor Bill Shinn.

A new mayor and vice mayor will also be selected during the meeting, which is open to the publics and begins at 6:30 p.m. in the council chambers at the Civic Center. 

The meeting will also be aired on the Concord cable TV channel — 28 for Comcast, 29 for Astound or 99 for AT&T U-verse — and live streamed on the city's website at www.cityofconcord.org.

Shinn, who was first elected to the Concord City Council in 2004 and served as Mayor in 2008 and Vice Mayor in 2007 and 2012, will be honored for this service to the city. Prior to his election to the council, Shinn served as chair of the Concord Human Relations Commission from 1999 to 2003 and was on the Concord Planning Commission in 2003 and 2004. He retired from the Contra Costa County Sheriff’s Office after 29 years of service.

The two councilmembers being sworn in were the highest vote getters in the Nov. 6 election — incumbent Dan Helix and local businessman Edi Birsan —and will join Councilmembers Tim Grayson, Laura Hoffmeister and 2012 Mayor Ron Leone on the Council dais.

Dan Helix has served on the city council since February 2011 when he was appointed to fill Mark Peterson's seat. Peterson left the council with two years remaining of his term after being elected as Contra Costa County District Attorney. Edi Birsan is new to the city council, but has been an active attendee at city meetings for the past few years.

Following tradition, members of the council will vote amongst themselves to decide who will serve as mayor and vice mayor for 2013.

For news updates on the Concord City Council: Follow Concord Patch on Twitter | Connect on Facebook | Get the Concord Patch email newsletter | Click "keep me posted" below.