STORY AND PHOTO BY KAREN BOSSICK

The community is invited to watch Hailey’s new mayor and city council members take their oath of office on Friday.

Then, it’s party time as the community is invited to join in a farewell celebration for outgoing elected officials.

Mayor Fritz Haemmerle will preside over the last meeting of his two terms of office as mayor in a short City Council meeting that will begin at 5:30 p.m. Friday, Jan. 10, at City Hall. Mayor-Elect Martha Burke and Council-Elect Sam Linnet and Juan Martinez will take their oath of office at that time.

Elected officials, board, commission and committee members who are stepping down will also be honored. Among them, Council menbers Pat Cooley and Jeff Engelhardt, members of Hailey’s Parks & Land Board, Tree Committee and Arts & Historical Preservation Commission.

A community celebration will then follow from 6 to 8 p.m. at The Mint where refreshments and a no-host bar will be available.

The new city government will take up regular business at 5:30 p.m. Monday, Jan. 13. At that time, Mayor Burke will nominate a city council member to take the seat she has held since winning it in a run-off election in 1993 against long-term incumbent Joe Maccarillo.

Once the nomination is confirmed, a council president will be selected and Burke will then nominate a Planning & Zoning member to fill the seat left open by Sam Linnet.