By Blake Deshazo | The Selma Times-Journal

Mayor-elect Darrio Melton, four new city council members and a new county commissioner will soon take the oath of office and begin serving the people of Selma and Dallas County.

Melton will officially be sworn in to office Sunday at a special ceremony at the Riverfront Amphitheater at 2 p.m.

“We’re very excited to take our city on a different trajectory in regards to building our city and moving forward,” Melton said. “I think we have the opportunity in Selma to once and for all build the Selma that so many people have dreamed that we can become.”

His first day in office will be Monday.

“We’re looking forward to working throughout all the communities to make sure everyone in the community has been impacted by what happens in city government,” Melton said.

Melton said Monday is the beginning of making Selma a more unified and model city for others to look at.

“Selma should be the premier city when we talk about unification that other cities in the world look at in regards to how people can work together who come from different walks of life,” Melton said.

Four new council members, Carl Bowline, Miah Tolbert-Jackson, Johnnie Leashore and Jannie Thomas will take their oath of office Monday at 5 p.m. in the George P. Evans Reception Hall.

Valerie Reuben will take her oath of office Nov. 16 at the Dallas County Courthouse at 10:30 a.m.

“I’m looking forward to working with the other commissioners and serving the people in district one,” Reuben said.

Reuben is the first woman elected to the Dallas County Commission.

“It’s a great accomplishment for Dallas County,” Reuben said. “I just want to thank the people for voting for me and putting me in office.”

Reuben said she looks forward to working with Commissioner Connell Towns, who has served the county for 16 years.

New Selma City School Board Members took their oath of office Thursday evening at a swearing-in ceremony.