Standing in the lobby of the Town Hall with their right hands raised, the nine members of the Town Council took their oaths as part of ’a swearing-in ceremony.
The ceremony took place on June 21 with Town Clerk Pat McNeilly administering the oath to councilors Mark Gould, Justin Pare, Andrea Slobogan, John Simmons, Andy Shanahan, Dan Donovan, Darius Gregory, John Costello and Patricia St. Pierre.
Costello and St. Pierre were sworn in as the newest members of the council. The two were elected in April to replace Patrick Reynolds and Kathleen Prescott, who both declined to seek another term.
Costello said he is fortunate to be part of the council and is excited to get to work.
“I am honored to have been officially sworn into the third North Attleborough Town Council,” Costello said. “While the summer schedule means the real work will not begin until August, I look forward to working with my fellow councilors to be a voice for the people and continue to bring the town forward.”
Donovan was also sworn in for the first time as well. Donovan, who came in 10th place in the 2021 election, was appointed to the council to serve the remainder of former Councilor JoAnn Cathcart’s term after she stepped aside in 2022. Per the town’s amended charter, when one of the nine council seats becomes vacant, the candidate with the next highest vote count will fill the vacancy and serve for the remainder of the unexpired term. Donovan was officially elected as a councilor in April, receiving the seventh most votes out of 13 candidates.
“I’m honored to represent the residents of North Attleborough on the Town Council,” Donovan said. “It also meant more than I can say that my wife and sons were able to attend the ceremony. They’ve been my biggest supporters from the beginning. It was truly an unforgettable night.”
The ceremony, while brief, was a happy one. Friends and family of the council applauded as the nine councilors promised to uphold the town bylaws and charter.
The new council is the third in North Attleborough’s history. In 2019, the town switched from a town meeting to a manager-council government.
The ceremony was also a farewell to Reynolds, who retired to work at a law firm, and Prescott, who decided to run for a seat on the School Committee, but lost. Prescott said she is proud of the work she accomplished as councilor and wished her former colleagues good luck in the coming year.
“It was a pleasure to serve on the Town Council for the past two terms,” Prescott said. “I am proud of all we accomplished together and am excited to see what the third council is able to accomplish.”
Council President Pare gave a special acknowledgement to Cathcart, who did not finish her second term as councilor. Cathcart, who was one of the first members to serve on the council since its inception, stepped aside from her position in 2022 due to an injury.
“We miss her dearly, and we wish she was here,” Pare said. “She was a part of this.”
