Members of Charlottesville City Council elected Nikuyah Walker as Mayor of Charlottesville and Heather Hill as Vice Mayor Tuesday night. The council members elected Walker in a 4-1 vote with Councilor Kathy Galvin voting no. Walker will replace Mike Signer as mayor. Hill was elected by a 3-2 vote with Councilor Wes Bellamy and Walker voting no.

Walker is the first African-American woman to serve as the city’s mayor, and she is also the first independent elected to the Charlottesville City Council since 1948.

Charlottesville has a council-manager form of government where the elected council or governing body elects the mayor and vice mayor of the city, rather than by a popular vote of the people. The mayor presides over meetings of City Council, but the city manager — who is appointed by the council— oversees the day-to-day operations of the city as its chief executive officer. Maurice Jones is Charlottesville’s city manager.

Walker and Hill were elected to City Council in November and sworn into office Dec. 29. The vote for mayor and vice mayor took place during the first City Council meeting of 2018. The meeting was both Walker and Hill’s first meeting as members of City Council.