A new era of Hanford city leadership dawned this week, with the retirement of a veteran councilwoman, the swearing in of a new member, and a reorganization of leadership.

David Ayers will be the Hanford City Council's new chair and mayor. Meanwhile, Marcie Buford, a retiring veteran councilwoman, passed the baton to Sue Sorensen, who took her oath of office at Tuesday's meeting.

The council's longest-serving member, Ayers showed political optimism for the city while reminding his colleagues that they are facing hard times.

Ayers, a 10-year veteran on the council, won the council's top seat in informal voting among its members.

"I think because of the leadership of former city managers and former council members, the city is in good shape," Ayers said. "I think we can weather the storm."

To illustrate his point, Ayers described the accelerating progress made in the Hanford Joint Educational Center, especially with the recent groundbreaking for the new College of the Sequoias campus and the completion of the vocational training center.

"Even though it was a gloomy day, you could still see the can-do attitude of the citizens," Ayers said, referring to the Dec. 1 groundbreaking for the college campus on Centennial Drive. "If you put your mind to it, you can accomplish anything."

The council chose Dan Chin, who has just won his third term in office, as vice mayor.

While expressing his renewed commitment to serving the city, Chin was more austere in his prediction of what lies ahead for the city.

"The city of Hanford has, I think, some major issues we're going to have to be discussing very openly and frankly over the next 12 months," Chin said. "I look forward to this council dealing with some tough issues in this tough economic time.

"We have a new president, and we have a state government that has yet to address the financial needs of the state ... We don't know how they are going to affect the city of Hanford, but there will be some tough choices to make for the city."

Meanwhile, the city council welcomed a new face Tuesday. Sue Sorensen, a former city planning commissioner and former high school trustee, won the Nov. 4 election beating out three other candidates who sought to fill the post being vacated by Buford.

Newly sworn in, Sorensen could hardly contain her excitement as she spoke.

"You campaign, and you work through the election without really thinking about what the end result's going to be. But tonight, it came and hit me that this is the end result of a successful campaign and you wonder if this is really what you want," Sorensen quipped. "I'm excited and, of course, a little nervous."

Continuity may be her approach to taking on a new role in city leadership.

Sorensen, a first-time councilwoman, said she will seek guidance from her predecessor as well as her colleagues on the dais.

"I'm looking forward to serving with these gentlemen," she said. "I'll depend on their knowledge and experience and insight into our community. I look forward to serving this community."

The reporter can be reached at 583-2429.

(Dec. 5, 2008)