Bridget Moran joins newly seated Town Council in Palm Beach; Lindsay elected president

Bridget Moran took her place on the dais Tuesday morning, shortly after being sworn in as the newest member of the Palm Beach Town Council.

The longtime Palm Beach resident and volunteer, who won the Group 3 seat last month in a close race against John David Corey, settled in for the first of what will be many monthly meetings with her colleagues on the desk.

In her first comments as a council member, she thanked them for welcoming her.

"I really appreciate it," she told them. "I'm really happy to be here. Thank you, and thank you to the public for placing your trust in me. I'm looking forward to this new chapter and doing the very best I can to make you proud. And I love this town, so I'm looking forward to it."

Moran, who resigned her seat on the Landmarks Preservation Commission following the March 19 municipal election, joins incumbents Lew Crampton, Bobbie Lindsay, Ted Cooney and Julie Araskog as members of a reconstituted town council.

Longtime Council President Maggie Zeidman chose not to run for a fifth term in the Group 3 seat, paving the way for Moran to run.

Crampton and Lindsay were reelected unopposed to their Group 1 and 2 seats, respectively, in December. Crampton will serve a fourth term, and Lindsay will serve a fifth.

Town Council members in Palm Beach serve two-year terms. There are no term limits.

Moran, Lindsay and Crampton were sworn in to their seats Tuesday by Judge Lisa Small, a Palm Beach native who serves as a juvenile judge in the 15th Judicial Circuit.

"I just want to say to the town council members and to the mayor, thank you so much for inviting me each year," Small said. "It's, for me, a wonderful tradition."

Also Tuesday, the newly seated town council named Lindsay as its president for the coming year.

Lindsay was unopposed for the position, which has been held for the previous four years by Zeidman. She was elected on a 5-0 vote.

The council president presides over meetings, determines the agendas and names council members to the various committees. There is no limit on how many years a member can serve as president, but the position is typically rotated every two to three years.

"I have big shoes to fill here with Maggie, and it's going to take me awhile to get things running smoothly," Lindsay told her colleagues. "So I'm looking to you to be my guidance, all of you. Thank you for your confidence."

Crampton was elected president pro tem Tuesday, succeeding Lindsay.

The meeting was the final council appearance for Zeidman, who was praised by her colleagues for her work ethic and dedication to the town.

"It's been an honor and a pleasure serving with you these last eight years," Lindsay told Zeidman. "It is no surprise to me that during your time as president, you led the council extraordinarily well. Your leadership has helped us promote a cohesive policymaking team that invites civic engagement from our residents and businesses, and works well together with the staff. Under your tenure as president, we have accomplished much in the past four years."

Jodie Wagner is a journalist at the Palm Beach Daily News, part of the USA TODAY Florida Network. You can reach her at jwagner@pbdailynews.com. Help support our journalism. Subscribe today.

This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Daily News: Palm Beach seats new Town Council; Lindsay elected council president