Jay Williams' inauguration set for public ceremony downtown

The mayor-elect will hold a formal celebration Jan. 6.
YOUNGSTOWN -- The inauguration of Mayor-elect Jay Williams is set for noon Dec. 31 on the downtown square on Wick Avenue.
Judge Robert A. Douglas Jr. of Youngstown Municipal Court will swear in Williams as mayor. Williams officially takes office Jan. 1.
In the event of inclement weather, the inauguration will be held in the Mahoning County Common Pleas Courthouse rotunda.
Before the Dec. 31 swearing-in ceremony, an inaugural ecumenical service is set for 10 a.m. at First Presbyterian Church, 210 Wick Ave.
Both the service and the inauguration are free and open to the public.
Williams also will hold an inauguration celebration, called "A New Beginning," at 6 p.m. Jan. 6 in the Stambaugh Auditorium's ballroom in the building's basement. The ballroom holds about 600 people.
The event will include dinner and entertainment. The event is formal with black tie preferred.
Tickets are $35 per person with the proceeds to be donated to charitable causes benefiting city children and families. The deadline for reservations is Dec. 30.
Invitations to the celebration for the general public can be obtained at the Williams for Mayor Headquarters, 100 E. Federal St.
Additional information on the event is available by calling the Regional Chamber, which is handling the logistics of the inauguration celebration, at (330) 744-2131 extension 21.