August 8, 2022
By: Dwayne Page
Fresh off election night Thursday, the Liberty Mayor and Aldermen-elect met Monday night to take their oath of office in a brief swearing in ceremony outside the town hall at the old high school building.
Smithville attorney Brandon Cox, the newly elected DeKalb County General Sessions Court Judge who will soon take office himself, administered the oath.
Audrey M. Martin, the first woman to ever be elected Mayor of Liberty, has taken over from Jason Hayes Ray , whom she defeated in the election Thursday while the new makeup of the town council includes Ryan Dodd and Kendra Stanford along with Incumbents William H. Reynolds, Jr. and Joe D. Bratten who were re-elected. Kevin R. Mullinax, who had been serving as an appointed Alderman, was also elected to his first full term on Thursday. Derek Johnson was defeated in his bid for re-election as Alderman.
An enthusiastic Mayor Martin said she wants to help renew the vitality of the town and restore the historic old Liberty High School building.
“I am very excited to be Mayor, especially the first woman mayor of the town and I want to bring Liberty back to life. I believe with the help of all of our Aldermen we can. I believe us being united is important to accomplishing anything that needs to be done,” said Mayor Martin.
“I am looking into having an historical society grant for this beautiful old schoolhouse that needs a lot of restoration and that is going to be my main concern right now,” she added.