'I'm confident he will do well.' William V. Sherer II is sworn in as Canton's new mayor
CANTON − William V. Sherer II took his oath as mayor Thursday afternoon in a packed City Council Chamber filled with family, friends and well-wishers, including outgoing Mayor Thomas Bernabei.
As his wife, Carrie, held the Bible, Sherer was sworn in by Stark County Common Pleas Court Judge Taryn Heath.
Daughter Nicolette Carnahan and her husband, Chad, twin daughters Adrian and Julian Sherer, and grandchildren Henry and Ella, also were in attendance.
An emotional Sherer thanked his wife, whom he called his "rock," his parents, and Bernabei, for his leadership.
"I could be up here for five hours thanking everyone who helped me get here," Sherer said, noting that Bernabei encouraged him to get involved in public service six years ago.
The new mayor called the day a reflection of his father, William Sr., who instilled a strong work ethic.
"Everything I am today is because of him," he said.
Bill Sherer: Canton should be city of opportunity
Sherer, a 1988 alumnus of McKinley High School, told the crowd that he wants Canton to be a city of opportunity for everyone.
"Every kid in this town should have the same shot as I had," he said. "I'm just a blue-collar kid who never left his town, even though I had plenty of opportunities to do so."
Others on hand for the swearing-in included Stark County Commissioner Richard Regula, outgoing Massillon Mayor Kathy Catazaro-Perry and R. Scott DePew, Sherer's Republican opponent. U.S. Rep. Emilia Sykes, D-13th District, noted that when she first met Sherer on the campaign trail, he loved talking about Canton.
(Information has been corrected to fix an error. See correction below. 945 a.m. Dec. 29)
"He said he wanted to give back to the community that had given him and his family so much," she said
The city's 72nd mayor, Sherer bested four other Democratic candidates in the May primary and captured 68% of the vote in the November general election. He succeeds Bernabei, who chose not to seek a third term.
Sherer's annual salary will be $131,935.
"I'm confident he will do well," Bernabei said. "I'm sure he'll do things different, just by virtue of our different backgrounds. When you're mayor, you set the standard by your work ethic and your integrity, and he will do so. I'm very confident of that."
Bill Sherer's staff in Canton
One thing that won't change is the cabinet. Sherer chose to retain Safety Director Andrea M. Perry, Public Service Director John Highman Jr., Finance Director Mark A. Crouse and Economic Development Director Christopher J. Hardesty, all of whom retook their oaths of office on Thursday.
He thanked the four. Because of their willingness to serve in a new administration, the transition will be easier, he said.
"I couldn't do this alone," he said.
As mayor, Sherer, who had been city council president since December 2018, will be responsible for managing city operations and Canton's nearly $330 million annual budget. Among his first tasks will be to work with the city Board of Health to pick a new health commissioner to replace James Adams, who intends to retire Jan. 24. The health board reopened its search for commissioner after not coming to an agreement on the eight applicants it considered when the job was initially posted in September.
Sherer, who served as the business manager, financial secretary and treasurer for Ironworkers Local 550 for nearly 18 years, has said his long-term goals are improving city neighborhoods and reducing crime.
"The strength of our city has to be our neighborhoods and the people in them," he told the audience. "Some work has already been done; we're going to (improve) our neighborhoods, one street at a time."
As part of the ceremony, Sherer's cousin, Nashville recording artist and "American Idol" 2020 finalist Lauren Mascitti, who grew up in Louisville, performed "God Bless America."
Sherer's official duties begin on Jan. 2.
Reach Kelli at 330-580-8339 or kelli.weir@cantonrep.com
On Twitter: @kweirREP
Reach Charita at 330-580-8313 or charita.goshay@cantonrep.com
On Twitter: @cgoshayREP
CORRECTION: U.S. Rep. Emilia Sykes represents the 13th District. The district was incorrect when this story first published.
This article originally appeared on The Repository: William Sherer II is sworn in as Canton's new mayor
