Richard Womack named chair of Delaware County Council, Christine Reuther elected vice chair

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Every two years, Delaware County Council elects two members to leadership positions.

On Monday, County Council unanimously appointed Richard Womack as chair and Christine Reuther as vice chair of the five-member governing body.

“Being here on County Council is not an easy job,” Womack said in a county press release. “Sometimes it’s a thankless job, but I am reminded that it’s not about me, it’s about the people of the county that I serve.”

Womack was first elected to the County Council in 2021. He was later named vice chair. In November, he won his re-election bid on the all-Democratic County Council. Womack will now take another step up the leadership ladder.

Reuther successfully ran for County Council in 2019 and helped the Democrats secure control of the governing body for the first time since the Civil War. Reuther won her re-election bid for a second term in 2023.

Monday also coincided with the swearing-in ceremony of Womack, Controller Louis Rosenthal, District Attorney Tanner Rouse, Sheriff Siddiq Kamara and first-term Councilmember Joanne Phillips.

“I remain inspired by what the voters told me during this election,” Phillips said in the press release. “They told me to keep working hard, use my common sense, keep moving the county forward, implement changes as efficiently and effectively as we can, use our resources wisely, and take care of our people.”

Among its first orders of business, County Council voted to reappoint Barbara O’Malley as executive director for a two-year term to oversee the day-to-day operations of government departments.

County Council’s first official meeting is Wednesday.