Cara Spencer and Donna Baringer swore their oaths of office and begin their terms as St. Louis City's new Mayor and Comptroller.
Spencer in her speech thanked her family and supporters and extended an olive branch to former Mayor Tishaura Jones, after a bitter campaign.
"I want to also thank Mayor Jones for her service to our City. We share many priorities for the city we both love and I welcome her advice and her council as we move forward."
Cara Spencer will serve as the 48th Mayor of St. Louis. She says public safety will be a core focus of her administration, reckless driving in particular.
"It's really important that people can feel safe walking around our city, cycling and even driving. The reckless driving has really become an epidemic."
Spencer says she plans to announce initiatives to curb reckless driving in the coming weeks. Mayor Spencer also says she will implement an open door policy with the public.
"Opening the Mayor's office, having some constructive conversations with members of the community, community leaders."
Spencer also says accountability for city services will also be a key cornerstone of her plan.
She declined to weigh in on the federal lawsuit filed against the state seeking to prevent the Police Department from falling under state control. Spencer says she needs to be caught up on the suit.
"We're going to have briefings this afternoon. Obviously its pending litigation and I'm looking forward to digging deeper into [the lawsuit] at this time."
Spencer reiterated she supports the city retaining local control of the department.
Baringer said during her speech she serving St. Louis has become her passion.
"When my sons were little I would say 'find your passion and you'll never work another day in your life.' I could not have foreseen that I would find my passion in what I do. It has been an honor to serve the citizens of the City of St. Louis."
She says after seeing the St. Louis decline while in Jefferson City compelled her to run for Comptroller.
"I became very upset [with] what was happening in the City of St. Louis. So upset that I said 'I'm too frustrated. I need to run for Comptroller of St. Louis.' When asked why, I said 'if not me, who? If not, when' [sic]."
Baringer defeated longtime comptroller Darlene Green who served in her role for thirty years.