Palm Coast, FL – It was nearly as smooth as a first meeting could go for newly elected Palm Coast Mayor David Alfin.

Surrounded by his wife and daughter, Alfin took the oath of office before a number of friends and well-wishers at the start of the Palm Coast City Council business meeting on Tuesday evening.

Ahead of the big moment, Alfin shared his thoughts, while receiving congratulations from constituents.

“I’m anxiously awaiting, excited about the swearing in as mayor-elect of the City of Palm Coast to become the Mayor of the City of Palm Coast. I’m ready, excited and committed to do the best for the City of Palm Coast. (It’s) a lot of close friends, supporters and residents, all of whom need to have a say in our City of Palm Coast,” he said.

It was while standing at the podium, still among the constituents, that Alfin shared his vision, hopes and promises for his term as the city’s fourth mayor.

“I want to express our appreciation to Mayor Branquinho for his service this year. I also want to share my gratitude for the entire team of city employees who serve our citizens each day with integrity, dedication and professionalism,” he said.

“I pledge to the citizens of Palm Coast that my focus is on you, and how our city government can best serve you, your family and your neighborhood,” continued Alfin.

Noting success takes a team, he promised to listen and learn, attack problems not people, and build trust between the city and the residents.

“I feel our council has the leadership team working for the citizens of Palm Coast. People don’t have to love each other or be exactly alike to be on the same team. They do have to understand each other,” he said.

“To understand you have to listen and learn. You need to learn what’s important to others and understand their perspective. Treating others with respect and kindness is key.”

The meeting that followed was distinctly different from previous meetings, and in the honeymoon phase, council members were courteous to each other, showing a level of respect absent in the recent past.

Among the people, David Alfin makes his pledge to listen and learn, attack problems not people, built on trust, during his address to residents after being sworn in as the City of Palm Coast’s fourth mayor, on Tuesday, August 4, 2021.

“I am eager to bring unity back to the City Council. I believe Palm Coast is on the doorstep of opportunity for the long term with our MedNexus project in Town Center and I am honored to help shape projects like this in our city. I am dedicated to preserving public safety in Palm Coast to ensure we can always enjoy the lifestyle we strive to protect,” Alfin said in a release provided by the City of Palm Coast.

The Palm Coast City Council meets the first and third Tuesday of every month, and meeting information may be found here.

Featured Photo: Palm Coast’s new ‘First Family’: Tammy McIlravy, David Alfin and Melanie DeMartino attend the official swearing in ceremony for David Alfin as the fourth mayor for the City of Palm Coast on Tuesday, August 4, 2021.