Kevin Johnson was sworn in as mayor of Sacramento tonight to the cheers of hundreds of supporters at the Memorial Auditorium.

Johnson said he went with the large, public inauguration instead of the more traditional, private ceremony because he wanted to convey a new direction in Sacramento.

“I wanted to make it about the community,” Johnson said during his speech. “I wanted to make it about all of you.”

‘Together we can’ has become a slogan of the Johnson administration, echoing ‘Yes we can,’ the slogan used by Barack Obama during his campaign.

Johnson encouraged citizens to find ways to volunteer in Sacramento. He recommended seniors mentor youth in the community and proposed community service requirements for students to graduate high school. Johnson illustrated his plan for the first 100 days in office during his speech. The first order of business for Johnson is a audit of the city’s budget.

One of the first changes Johnson will make as mayor will be to open his office to the public on Saturdays. Johnson has asked for community involvement and participation at every step in his campaign and will continue to seek resident input.

Johnson will host town hall meetings once a month to discuss residents needs and concerns.

Johnson will not actually serve until Dec. 2 when he presides over a city council meeting. He said he called a meeting at 7:30 a.m. the morning after the election to begin organizing his team.

Derek Fleming can be reached at [email protected]