A gospel choir, fireworks and confetti make for a nice party. But as it turns out, Kevin Johnson's official swearing-in as Sacramento mayor is likely going to be pretty plain.
County elections officials said Monday it is very unlikely they'll have the results of Sacramento's mayoral campaign certified in time for Johnson's lavish swearing-in ceremony Nov. 25 at Memorial Auditorium.
Instead, with many votes still uncounted, Johnson will likely take the oath of office at the beginning of the City Council meeting Dec. 2.
The result of the Nov. 4 election isn't expected to change - as it stands now, Johnson took more than 57 percent of the vote in his unseating of Mayor Heather Fargo. But the city can't swear in a mayor until all the votes have been counted, said Sacramento City Clerk Shirley Concolino.
The news isn't changing Johnson's plans to hold an extravagant ceremony at Memorial Auditorium. The gala is to be emceed by television journalist Lisa Ling and include performances by a gospel choir, the 34th Street Dancers and the young people's troupe from the Sacramento Theatre Company.
"The swearing in is not about the formality of taking office," said Adam Mendelsohn, a Johnson adviser. "The swearing in is an event that is meant for the community to come together and rally for change."
Mendelsohn said Johnson "is already taking action and talking to city leaders and preparing for his first council meeting."
That meeting will be Dec. 2. Concolino said that Vice Mayor Steve Cohn will likely call the meeting to order and that Johnson will then accept the oath of office, "sit down as chair of the meeting and then he's the mayor."
As for Fargo, she has the option of staying on as mayor until the day Johnson is sworn in. Her spokeswoman, Sue O'Brien, said Monday that Fargo had not decided what she would do.
Sacramento County elections spokesman Brad Buyse said that he expects another update on the vote tally Friday and that his office will work through the Thanksgiving weekend to make the sure the results are certified by Dec. 2.
"It's not going to affect the mayoral race where it will put one candidate above the other," Buyse said.
Buyse could not estimate how many votes remain uncounted. He did say that 7,300 people in the city did not vote for mayor, 29 voted for both candidates and 615 voted for write-in candidates who were not qualified.
Call The Bee's Ryan Lillis, (916) 321-1085.
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