KEENE, N.H. (MyKeeneNow) – The 2026-2027 Keene City Council term has officially begun following the New Year’s Day inauguration of Mayor Jay Kahn and several new and returning councilors.

Kahn was inaugurated for his second term as Mayor. Councilors who were sworn in during the noon ceremony Thursday include Kris E. Roberts and Jacob R. Favolise in Ward 1; Edward Haas in Ward 2; Molly Ellis in Ward 3; Catherine Workman in Ward 4; and Philip M. Jones in Ward 5. At-large councilors sworn in are Bettina A. Chadbourne, Randy L. Filiault, Mitchell H. Greenwald, Michele Chalice, and Laura Ruttle-Miller.

Ellis, Chalice, and Ruttle-Miller are all newcomers to the council.

During the ceremony, all councilors received their committee assignments as well. The Municipal Services, Facilities, and Infrastructure (MSFI) committee will be chaired by Greenwald with Workman as vice chair, and Favolise, Ellis, and Councilor Laura Tobin will serve on the committee. Filiault will serve as chair of the Planning, Licenses, and Development (PLD) with Jones as vice chair, and Haas, Ruttle-Miller, and Councilor Bobby Williams will serve on the committee. The Finance, Organization, and Personnel (FOP) committee will be chaired by Councilor Thomas Powers, with Chadbourne as vice chair, and Roberts, Chalice, and Councilor Bryan Lake will serve on the committee.

In his inaugural address Mayor Jay Kahn noted that for the first time since 1988 there are as many as six women serving on the council, and that all three charter officers, City Manager Elizabeth Ferland, City Attorney Amanda Palmeira, and City Clerk Terri Hood, are all female as well.

Kahn went on to say that serving on the council is a constant learning experience, and that Councilors will learn from some unexpected issues.

“One is that state and national issues are going to be brought to this council and test our resolve to preserve the council as a non-partisan municipal government, which is proclaimed in the city’s charter. It’s a slippery slope to descend into issues on which there is no direct effect on city operations but for which we care deeply,” Kahn said. “Another standout lesson to me is to take note of our social media posts, and that they are being scrutinized by the public. As an elected official, you’re judged not just by your values, but by other people’s as well. A third is that the public’s right-to-know requests are sometimes insatiable and requesting incredible numbers of messages and pages from city records, which includes your mailboxes.”

Kahn also noted that Keene is the birthplace of civil rights leader Jonathan Daniels.

“This city cherishes civil rights,” Kahn said. “And the caring of others in our community personifies Keene’s high marks for Social Capital.”

Later in his address, Kahn said over the next few years the city will need to contribute to what the Greater Monadnock Collaborative calls the “thriving economy”, must assert community influence on the futures of Keene State College, Antioch University, and River Valley Community College, work to increase housing opportunities, address aging infrastructure, remain affordable, and get more people involved in city affairs and fill spots on city committees.

“This city council faces the task of ensuring we don’t lose the features that support our region’s independence and attractiveness,” Kahn said. “So, dive into your roles and enjoy the best of what we have in Keene, New Hampshire, and let me be the first to thank you for the contributions you will make to what Keene can become in the future.”

You can hear Kahn’s full address here.

The council will hold its first committee meetings next week. The PLD committee will meet Wednesday, January 7 at 6 p.m., and the FOP committee meets Thursday, January 8 also at 6 p.m. All full council and committee meetings are held in council chambers at City Hall, located at 3 Washington Street in Keene.