BATON ROUGE, La. (WAFB) – Before a standing-room only crowd, Sharon Weston Broome took the oath of office Monday night at the Raising Cane’s River Center Theatre for the Performing Arts, officially becoming the first female mayor of Baton Rouge.

No more status quo was the key theme of a passionate speech by Weston Broome just moments after she was sworn in. “We must demonstrate that every human has value and has the potential to contribute. The ignorant and limiting perspective of our past must be eliminated permanently,” Weston

Broome said.

Cheif among what she said will frame a new Baton Rouge are changes to community policing and a re-energized approach to flood recovery efforts that includes giving someone in her administration the lead role in handling flood concerns.

“Every day that person will report to work and a major part of their responsibility will be to ensure progress in not only our recovery but the building of a more resilient Baton Rouge,” she added.

The mayor said she will also reach out to state and federal partners to design a plan not only for flood recovery but to tackle the nightmare that is Baton Rouge traffic. “We’ve got to keep the capital city moving and so we must stop talking about traffic and do something about it,” the mayor added.

Weston Broome also said too many groups in city-parish government work independently and she said combining efforts will ensure that all areas of the city and parish get the attention they deserve.

“It is my plan to convene the leadership of the office of community development, the redevelopment authority and the East Baton Rouge Housing Authority to establish a collaborative understanding on how we grow forward as a city and a parish,” Weston Broome said.

While she admits there will be challenges, Weston Broome said she is committed to delivering on all of her campaign promises and more. “Allow me to put you on notice,” she said. “I will not be perfect but I will always be honest and give my best effort.”

Weston Broome danced the night away at a reception following the inauguration ceremonies held at the Hilton Baton Rouge Capital Center downtown.