Neil O’Leary was sworn in as mayor of Waterbury at 12:01 am today in a brief ceremony inside City Hall. The ceremony was originally planned as a small gathering of family and friends inside the mayor’s office, but at the stroke of midnight there were 200 people packed into aldermanic chambers to witness the event. Afterwards, O’Leary made his way down to the mayor’s office where he tried out his new chair and checked out some strategic items placed on the desk by his transition team (including name cards and keys to a vehicle). A second swearing-in ceremony will take place Friday night at the Palace Theater on East Main Street. The public is invited. The Observer will publish more images later on today.
O’Leary was sworn in by Judge “Taco” Sullivan as his daughter, Maggie, son, Patrick, and City Clerk Mike Dalton looked on.
Nearly 200 excited friends and family erupted in a packed Aldermanic chambers after O’Leary officially became the next mayor of Waterbury.
Patrick O’Leary looked at his father during the Mayor’s remarks after he took the oath of office.
O’Leary recalled his grandparents and parents in his remarks, and shared stories of scampering around the Field Street firehouse as a child. O’Leary’s father was a Waterbury firefighter, and O’Leary said he had the run of firehouse sliding down poles and chasing his siblings – until he probably went too far and tried to start and apparatus.