GLASGOW – Inside the Glasgow City Council chambers, a new mayor and four new council members swore to uphold the U.S. and Kentucky constitutions.

Harold Armstrong, who served on the city council for 16 years but did not seek re-election in 2014 or 2016, defeated former Mayor Dick Doty in November’s mayoral race. Armstrong said he was motivated to run for office because he wanted to address Glasgow’s issues.

“We started this about two years ago basically wanting to get some things changed and some things done. Now that I’m sworn in, we’re going to get some things done, some things changed,” he said. “The city of Glasgow is going to be all about everybody and we’re going to work closely with Barren County to get back on (top) of employment and with a lot of other issues that have plagued the city for the last two or three, four, five years.”

The plight of residents on fixed incomes struggling to pay their bills under the Glasgow Electric Plant Board rate structure implemented at the beginning of 2016, which charges customers roughly $11 per kilowatt/hour during the hour of the month when demand is highest, motivated Armstrong to run, he said.

“They want to see the Electric Plant Board, something done with the rates down there and we’re going to work with the Electric Plant Board, with the board (of directors), with (Glasgow EPB Superintendent) Billy Ray and try to find something that will ease the pain on these older people who are on a fixed income.”

Additionally, Armstrong said improving the economy and employment in the area will be a key focus for him.

“I just want to see everybody who wants a job to have a job,” he said.

Circuit Judge John T. Alexander also swore in incumbent council members Wendell Honeycutt, James Neal, Brad Groce, Freddie Norris, Patrick Gaunce, Chasity Lowery, Marlin Witcher and Marna Kirkpatrick as well as Joe Trigg, who previously served on the council but opted not to run for a seat in 2016 so he could run for the 23rd House District seat, which ultimately went to Republican Steve Riley.

Alexander also swore in first-time council members Sheri Eubank, Gary Norman and Terry Bunnell.

Bunnell said he’s excited to have the chance to work toward fixing Glasgow’s issues.

“I’m really excited about the opportunity to work with the citizens of Glasgow,” he said. “I’ve been fortunate over the years to be involved in a lot of organizations in this community and through those organizations I’ve been blessed by working with some great people but now I see some needs that need to be looked after for Glasgow.”

Bunnell said he is mainly concerned about employment in the area.

“Glasgow is needing more jobs. … We need to have a workforce that is ready for those jobs,” he said. “We’ve got to have businesses here that will be with us for the long term.”

Bunnell said he wants to cultivate “good partnerships” with local high schools and Western Kentucky University and to create incentives for small local businesses.