County’s Elected Officials and Constitutional Officers Sworn In for Terms Beginning Jan. 1

The afternoon of Monday, December 18, family, friends, county and town officials gathered in Warren County Courthouse Circuit Courtroom A for the swearing in of County officials elected this November. The 11 officials’ oaths of office will take effect January 1, 2024, and generally run through December 31, 2027.

Judge Daryl Funk did the swearing-in honors and launched the event with a reminder of the important and sometimes solemn duties of elected municipal officials and constitutional officers in a democratically based system of government.

Those duties, from overseeing that local governmental codes work to the general benefit of the community as a whole under the Constitutional structures of the state and federal levels; to seeing that the taxation, law enforcement and legal systems are applied fairly and equally to all citizens, are crucial to the maintenance of a representative form of government.

The courtroom crowd builds as 4 p.m. approaches; below, Judge Funk launches the swearing in ceremony; and a group shot of the newly sworn-in county officials: back row, at left, John Stanmeyer, Kristin Pence, Melanie Salins, Richard Jamieson; front row from left, Cheryl Smedley Cullers, Janice Butler Shanks, Sherry Sours, Angie Moore, John Bell, Crystal Cline, Tom McFadden Jr., and slightly forward, leader of the pack Judge Daryl Funk.

Sworn in for the offices they will take or retake with the turn of the year were, in the order in which they were sworn in: Circuit Court Clerk Angela “Angie” Moore (8 yr. term); Commonwealth’s Attorney John Bell; Warren County Sheriff Crystal Cline; Commissioner of the Revenue Sherry Sours; Treasurer Janice Butler Shanks; North River District Supervisor Richard Jamieson; Shenandoah District Supervisor John Stanmeyer; South River District Supervisor Cheryl Smedley Cullers; North River District School Board member Melanie Salins; Shenandoah District School Board member Tom McFadden Jr.; and South River District School Board member Kristen Pence.

Commonwealth’s Attorney John Bell is sworn in for another term.

Sitting WC School Board Chairman and South River District rep Kristen Pence is sworn in.

North River District Supervisor Delores Oates hands off to Richard Jamieson as she prepares to take a new seat in the state general assembly in Richmond that she was elected to in November.

Incoming Sheriff and long-time FRPD Captain Crystal Cline mingles along with others following the swearing-in ceremony, and gets a congratulatory shake from Judge Funk. The conclusion of Cline’s oath of office drew the loudest, positive response from the packed house courtroom crowd, including from her current boss FRPD Chief Kahle Magalis, seen in opening “crowd builds” photo standing in back of courtroom with several deputies also on hand.