Election winners sworn into Gilbert Town Council seats

By Tom Blodgett
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Twitter: @sp_blodgett

Four newly elected members were sworn into office for Gilbert Town Council on Tuesday, Jan. 10, in an inaugural ceremony at the newly renovated Gilbert Town Hall. 

Chuck Bongiovanni, Bobbi Buchli and Jim Torgeson took the oath office for the first time from Presiding Judge David Cutchen, joined by Yung Koprowski, who won election for the first time after serving nearly two years as an appointed member. 

Additionally, the newly seated council voted Council Member Kathy Tilque to be vice mayor for 2023. 

The three council rookies represent the biggest makeover of council since 2020 when three council members resigned for other positions in a little less than two months' time. Koprowski was among the appointed replacements then. 

Bongiovanni and Buchli thanked those who voted for them but pledged to represent those who did not vote for them as well. 

Torgeson, a frequent critic of council in the past, said he was grateful for the opportunity to present a different point of view to council. 

Koprowski said it felt amazing to come to council as an elected member this time. 

Council next meets for a full business agenda Jan. 24. 

Tom Blodgett
Senior News Editor | Gilbert
@sp_blodgett

tblodgett@iniusa.org

Meet Tom
Tom Blodgett joined Independent Newsmedia, Inc., USA, in 2022, when the company acquired Community Impact Newspaper's Phoenix-area properties. Raised in Arizona, he has spent more than 35 years in journalism in the state.

Community: He has served as an instructional professional in the Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication since 2005, and is editorial adviser to The State Press, the university's independent student media outlet. He also is director of operations for an 18U girls fastpitch softball team from Gilbert.

Education: Arizona State University with a BS in Journalism. 

Random Fact: He lived in Belgium during his freshman year of high school.  

Hobbies: Tweeting enthusiastically about ASU softball (season-ticket holder) and grumpily about other local sports (pessimistic fan).