Slidell Inauguration Day

New Administration, City Council And Police Chief Take Oath During Public Ceremony In Olde Towne

Randy Fandal was sworn in as mayor of Slidell on Wednesday morning at the Slidell Municipal Auditorium, taking office alongside the city’s newly seated council members and incoming police chief during a public inauguration ceremony that marked the formal start of a new administration at City Hall.

The 11 a.m. ceremony in Olde Towne Slidell included the oath of office for Fandal, Council Members-at-Large Leslie D. Denham and Thomas S. Abney, district council members Landon J. Washington, Sean Fadely, Megan S. Haggerty, Nicholas “Nick” DiSanti, Shawn Jones, Thomas “Trey” Brownfield and Tim Rogers, as well as Chief of Police Tommy Williams. After the swearing-in, Fandal was scheduled to deliver an inaugural address outlining his priorities for the city as his administration begins its term.

The event was open to the public at the Slidell Municipal Auditorium on Second Street, with doors opening at 10:30 a.m. and seating offered on a first-come, first-served basis. City officials billed the ceremony as the beginning of a new chapter in municipal leadership.

Fandal, a former Slidell police chief and fourth-generation Slidell native, took office after winning the special election to complete the unexpired mayoral term left vacant by Greg Cromer’s resignation earlier this year. The City of Slidell says Fandal won 72% of the vote and is serving as the city’s 23rd mayor.

The transition at City Hall began in January when Cromer stepped down to take a state job with the Louisiana Department of Transportation and Development. Under the city’s home rule charter, Bill Borchert, the council-at-large member who had received the most votes in the last election, then moved into the mayor’s office on an interim basis until voters chose a successor in the October 2025 special election.

Fandal arrives in the mayor’s office after a long career in law enforcement. According to the city, he began his public safety career in 1980 with the Slidell Police Department, later served more than two decades with the Louisiana State Police, and eventually returned to lead Slidell’s police department before running for mayor.

Why This Matters In Slidell

Wednesday’s inauguration formalizes a broad leadership transition for city government, with a new mayor, a newly seated council and a new police chief all taking office together. For residents, that means a fresh round of decision-making on issues that touch daily life in Slidell, including public safety, drainage and infrastructure work, city services, budgeting and storm preparation.

Because Slidell sits at a major crossroads for the Northshore, with residents relying on local government for everything from neighborhood services to hurricane readiness and traffic planning around major corridors, leadership changes at City Hall can carry practical effects well beyond ceremonial pageantry.