Ariola named Mayor, council members sworn in
Taylor has a new mayor for the first time since 2017.
Dwayne Ariola was elected to the position Tuesday, May 14, in a 3-1 vote, with District 1 Councilman Gerald Anderson absent, during a special called City Council meeting. Ariola has held the at-large seat for seven years.
He directly addressed his father during remarks.
“I’m going to attempt to be half the mayor as [Brandt] Rydell and [Jesse] Ancira and make your Ariola name proud,” he said.
Ariola, along with newly inducted council members Shelli Cobb and Kelly Cmerek, voted in favor of approving the nomination made by Cmerek. District 4 Councilman Robert Garcia was the lone dissenting vote.
The meeting also marked the end of Rydell’s term and District 2 Councilman Mitch Drummond’s term.
“Thank you, gentleman, for putting your name out there and doing what you thought was right,” Ariola said. “We agreed 99% of the time … Brandt and Mitch, I consider you both my friends.”
Cobb nominated Cmerek as mayor pro tem in a motion that passed unanimously.