Mentor City Council holds organizational meeting, swears in officers

Mentor City Council convened its organizational meeting on Jan. 6, 2026, where newly (and re-)elected members were sworn in and the council selected its 2026 leadership.

Judge Patrick O'Donnell administered oaths to council members, including Janet Dowling, Ray Kirchner and Brian G. Cook. After being sworn, President Janet Dowling thanked colleagues: "I just wanna thank council for this honor, and I'm looking forward to serving again," she said.

Council proceeded to regular session and conducted a roll call to establish a quorum. Members nominated and voted for internal officers; Councilmember Janet Dowling was elected president and Ray Kirchner was elected vice president after separate roll-call votes. The meeting then moved on to routine business, including approval of minutes and consideration of ordinances and resolutions.

The council’s organizational actions set leadership and committee rosters for the year; the body will take up remaining committee and ordinance work in subsequent meetings.