DIXON, CA (MPG) - It should feel like he's returning to his old stomping grounds when former councilman/former mayor Thom Bogue takes the dais again in January. He will officially be sworn in this time as District 2 Council Representative at the first city council meeting of the year Tuesday, January 3, 2023, at 7 p.m.

This was all determined after the last council meeting on December 6 concluded.

At that meeting and after some confusion over the Brown Act and proper notice to the public, Administrative City Clerk Lupe Ruiz read the resolution to accept the election results and have only City Council District 1 winner Jim Ernest and Elected City Clerk Kristen Janisch. raise their hands to recite the Oath of Office.

For District 2, the winner by 20 votes was Bogue but challenger Scott Pederson had asked for a recount, so the original agenda listing Bogue had to change. Pederson stopped the recount at 4 p.m., on Tuesday, December 6, the day of the City Council meeting, but too late for any agenda changes to be given proper legal notice per the Brown Act. When Pederson halted the recount, Bogue then became officially elected to District 2.

District 3 Rep Kevin Johnson thanked and appreciated everyone who ran as they upheld "our democratic process" and he congratulated the winners. Councilman Ernest said he enjoyed working with outgoing Councilman Pederson.

"I have served this community for the last ten years and my decision to have a recount of an election was actually my right," Pederson said, adding that the reason he called for it was that "Ten percent of the vote that was cast was uncounted, meaning there could be something wrong with those items in question. Unfortunately, there are people in this community who outright blasted me for my actions. This is the responsibility of the public to vote."

Pederson was "astonished" at the number of people who turned in ballots that had votes for judges and distant officials, but clearly no votes for either of the local District 2 candidates.

"I appreciate that I had this opportunity to do the recount," Pederson said. "The cost was on me, not on the taxpayer, and I wanted to make sure every single person had their vote count." He then chastised people who had said disconcerting things about him on social media.

Ernest and Janisch were then sworn into their positions by Administrative City Clerk Ruiz.

"I really appreciate the opportunity to get to know this community," Janisch said. "After the [original] appointment, it's been an honor to serve and engage and to truly get to know the community I am thrilled to embrace."

In another discussion, artwork on the tiles on the back of the stage for the Pardi Plaza was presented by Madeline Graf, Public Information Officer for the City, and discussed by Dixon Historical Society President Kim Evans who worked with Diane Schroeder and Maria Cornejo to narrow down the selection to 50 pictures. They were of people, houses, and churches in black and white as well as color.

After discussion of using captions on each of the photos, numbering the pictures and then placing a legend on the side or nearby wall or including a QR code so people could hear a recording from their phones what each picture was about. The QR code idea was chosen.