It didn't take long for the public to get a glimpse at how city hall may change as Mayor Michael D. Quill took on his new duties as presiding officer over the meeting of a newly formulated Auburn City Council Tuesday.

The first official comments he uttered were self depreciating, but with praise for his new dais mate, city clerk Deborah McCormick and his old city hall colleague and former corporation counsel Cayuga County Judge Thomas Leone about keeping him on track with council procedures and looking presentable.

Surrounded by family members (a great number of them - they seemed to be half of the nearly 200 in attendance), friends, local dignitaries and the interested, Auburn's 55th mayor was sworn in at West Middle School, from where the new mayor once graduated high school. In his short, but well-thought-out remarks, the new mayor first discussed how, even with his election being known for almost two months, it did not hit him that he was mayor until being given the oath administered by Leone.

What was more important were his comments about how he sees the future and his part in it. While much will and should be made of his comments about “teamwork” there is a clear feeling, as comes with any new administration, of optimism. That became clear in the auditorium, listening to him make his first public remarks as mayor, not only for what needs to be done, but how. That may be best measured by the tone of his remarks.

It sounds, from the comments made from a podium, that the trademark of his four or more years at city hall may be to build consensus, not go off on his own without the cooperation of his fellow members of the city council and, just as importantly, the city's administrative staff, a staff he, until a year and a half ago, once was a member of.

Quill, unlike most of his predecessors in the last half century, has special knowledge that comes from being a member of the administrative staff of our local government. While many of his predecessors had served on city boards, the city council or had been active in their political parties, allowing them to secure their eventual nominations, Quill comes with a lack of that experience and, at times, baggage, which may not be all that bad. Only time will tell.

The bottom line is that Quill did not announce any grandiose plans or changes, but what looks like a simple work ethic to leave Auburn, over the long term, better than he found it.

It can only be hoped that he does.

Cosentino is a former mayor of Auburn and can be contacted at cozguytho@aol.com