Westland council fails to elect president pro-tem

The Westland City Council welcomed two new members and chose a new council president during the first meeting of the new year but were unable to agree on a new president pro-tem of the body.
Following the official swearing in ceremonies of two new council members, Andrea Rutkowski and Mike McDermott, members immediately began to conduct the business of electing officers of the council.
Jim Hart, who has served on the city council since his election in 2018, was chosen by his fellow members to serve as council president. He replaces former council president Jim Godbout who declined to serve another term in the position he has filled since 2008. Godbout has served on the city council since 2001, and is, according to Mayor William R. Wild, the longest serving council president in city history.

“It's been truly an honor to serve as council president,” Godbout said. I look forward to more years on the council and supporting president Hart.”
“I'm going to do my best and I'm going to work hard,” commented Hart.
His appointment was carried despite no votes from council members Tasha Green and Peter Herzberg.
That dissent in the council ranks carried further as the body attempted to elect a president pro-tem. Councilman Mike Londeau and Herzberg were both nominated but neither received the necessary majority votes for the position. The president pro-tem position will remain unfilled until the council comes to an agreement and votes at a future meeting. Green, who cast no votes for both Londeau and Herzberg, stated later in the meeting that she would not vote for any council member she believed had previously voted against the interests of residents. She did not elaborate on those assertions.
Wild took an opportunity at the end of the meeting to acknowledge the years that Godbout has served on the city council.
“He's done a lot of things for this city,” Wild said of Godbout's tenure as council president.