Terry Hartwick was sworn in as North Little Rock's Mayor in a brief, socially-distanced ceremony in Council chambers at City Hall on Friday morning.

District Judge Paula Juels Jones administered the oath of office.

Both wore masks and a tablet was on the lectern as oaths were also done remotely as attendance at the event was limited due to Covid concerns.

After being sworn in, Hartwick spoke for a few minutes.

“I want to thank all the people who voted for me as mayor,” he said. “I am excited about the growth opportunities the city has in front of us.”
Hartwick also addressed the ongoing pandemic and said he had been working with the Centers for Disease Control, as well as the governor’s office on the two vaccination sites in North Little Rock. He also thanked former mayor Joe Smith for his service to the city and echoed the two-term mayor as Hartwick pledged to keep North Little Rock as “a great place to live, work and play.”
Hartwick said he also plans to reach out to Tracy Steele, who he defeated in a December run-off.

“He has some ideas,” Hartwick said. “We need to make it one city.”

Also sworn in was:

• Ward 1’s Nathan Hamilton

• Ward 2’s Maurice Taylor

• Ward 3’s Ron Harris 

• Ward 4’s Charlie Hight

• City Clerk and Treasurer Diane Whitbey

Hartwick and Harris were limited to eight guests while social distancing and masks were required.

Ward 1’s Debi Ross served as Master of Ceremonies and she ran a tight ship as the ceremony clocked in at just a little over 15 minutes.