Lithonia’s new mayor said that of late, she has felt a “real sense of excitement that I have not felt in the city in a long time.”

“Over the years, the news about Lithonia has not always been positive,” said Mayor Deborah Jackson, who was sworn into office Jan. 9 along with newly-elected council members Darold Honore and Shameka Reynolds

“However, Lithonians know that they have a tremendous and rich history that has not always been talked about,” Jackson said. “We in Lithonia are working to reclaim our place in the county and state as a place where there is a strong sense of community where people take the time to help one another and we welcome those who are willing to work with us.”

Jackson invited residents to join the “journey to create a new Lithonia that is better than it was when it was its former best.”

“We can create the Lithonia that we know it can be,” she said.

In other business, council member Pat Miller was chosen by the board as the mayor pro tempore. The council passed a resolution requiring all city checks to be signed by both the mayor and mayor pro tempore. It also passed a resolution committing to adopting an ethics ordinance in the future.