The night was filled with a festive atmosphere, yet the trauma and judgments of the past two years were not forgotten. Lili Bosse, the new mayor of Beverly Hills, was sworn in by Ambassador Nicole Avant, daughter of murdered philanthropist Jacqueline Avant and Bosse's personal friend. Nicole shared with the audience that Bosse had repeated four words to her since the day of her mother's death. The ceremony was attended by Clarence Avant, Jaqueline's husband and a titanic figure in the music industry, as well as Nicole's husband, Netflix co-CEO Ted Sarandos.
Nine religious leaders from across the city were invited to each bring their own invocation in a move that highlighted the theme of unity. Councilman Julian Gold, the Council's only doctor, pointed out the difficulties of the pandemic in his speech and expressed hope for a return to normality. Bosse presented a long list of new initiatives aimed at starting this new chapter. Crime and safety featured prominently in speeches throughout the night, with several council members blaming Los Angeles District Attorney George Gascon for the increase in certain types of crimes.
Two pollsters from District Attorney George Gascon's campaign stood outside The Wallis gathering signatures for the recall. In his exit speech, outgoing mayor Robert Wunderlich marked a list of achievements from his year as mayor, declaring that the city was “coming out of the pandemic strong”. West Hollywood City Councilwoman Lindsey Horvath showed support for outgoing and incoming mayors, making the only public comment of the night. Councilman Lester Friedman, whose full term as mayor was conducted remotely, shared how Wunderlich gave him the opportunity to chair his only in-person meeting of the City Council only to have the meetings return to a remote format for another year.
On environmental sustainability, Mayor Bosse said that the council must continue to take climate change into account when making decisions. In his closing remarks before leaving office as mayor, Friedman called his term “honor and privilege”, noting that he served as mayor for “a year like no other”. The program was followed by an outdoor reception.
