“Ward 1 Matt Rowe, Joy Crump (Ward 2), Susanna Finn (Ward 3) and Chuck Frye Jr. (Ward 4) took turns reciting the oath,” Fredericksburg Free Press reported. “Frye was named vice mayor — a largely ceremonial role that he held previously — in a unanimous vote.”
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“Vice-Mayor Frye was unanimously elected by the council to continue to serve as Vice-Mayor,” the city stated.
The ceremony was held at the Fredericksburg Area Museum, home to the historic Town Hall Market House, which city officials note is the second oldest continuously used town hall in the nation. The swearing-in marked the formal start of the new City Council’s term and included the council’s annual organizational meeting.
Fredericksburg voters largely opted for stability Tuesday, returning familiar faces to lead the city’s law enforcement, fiscal, and education offices — while elevating a current school board member to the City Council and welcoming one new face to the dais.
Despite recent controversies surrounding school board spending and transparency, incumbents and well-known local figures prevailed across the ballot, signaling voters’ preference for continuity over change.
“We are proud of this achievement and grateful to everyone who has played a part over the past few years in getting us to this point,” Jayne Johnson, Executive Director of Greater Fredericksburg Habitat for Humanity, said. “We would like to extend our heartfelt thanks to those who worked with us during this process: the City of Fredericksburg, Welford Engineering, Legacy Engineering, Frank Mills Surveyor, the GFHFH Board of Directors, the Mayfield Community leaders and neighbors, and the volunteers and donors who continued to support us through it all.”
The City of Fredericksburg’s Community Planning and Building Department has approved the Greater Fredericksburg Habitat for Humanity site plan for six new affordable homes on Davies Street. Each home will be purchased by a partner family who completes the organization’s homeownership program. Habitat will announce details about the start of construction and the homebuyer selection process at a later date.
