Sam Dean | The Roanoke Times

Randy Foley thanks well-wishers after he was elected mayor of Salem on Tuesday.

Jared Soares | The Roanoke Times

Salem Mayor Randy Foley threw out the first pitch before Tuesday's Salem Avalanche game at Salem Memorial Baseball Stadium.

Salem City Council picked its youngest member, Randy Foley, 38, to be the city's new mayor on Tuesday morning by a vote of 5-0.

With his right hand raised, and a class ring from the University of Virginia shining on his finger, Foley was sworn in as the 23rd mayor of the city. He replaces outgoing Mayor Howard Packett.

Following city rules, the council chooses a mayor every two years from among its five members.

John Givens, 58, the council's senior member, was chosen to return to the position of vice mayor.

Givens said Foley is symbolic of the city's "youth movement" and pointed to the council's two new additions, Lisa Garst and Bill Jones. Both are in their 40s.

And in a bit of foreshadowing, perhaps, Packett said in his short farewell address June 23: "It's time for these young people to take over."

"It is kind of a time of renewal," Foley said, though he added that he wasn't elected because of his age.

In a knot of handshakes and interviews, the new mayor stressed that he had no agenda and that the council remained a "group of equals."

"We made a decision; we need to move forward," he said matter-of-factly.

A crowd of more than 60 greeted the morning's announcements, the largest turnout in recent memory. "Usually it's just spouses," said Steve Yost, the city attorney.

And usually the choice for mayor has been an obvious one, longtime city hall observers said, considering the past three decades.

Foley's nomination came after the council met twice in closed-door sessions to discuss their options, one last week and one Tuesday morning -- sessions that are allowed under state law.

Councilwoman Jane Johnson, who was installed for her second term Tuesday, had said she was seeking the job. She would have been the city's first female mayor. Givens had indicated an interest, too.

"We were just trying to come to our own conclusions without making it a big issue," Foley said Tuesday afternoon. "It's just a title."

Billye White, 78, a retired nurse who works for Total Action Against Poverty, volunteered on Foley's campaign when he was first elected to city council in 2006.

"I'm not sure Salem's ready for a woman," the Salem resident said, reflecting on the day's events. She added that the city needed some youth and praised Foley as "a very smart young man."

"I think he'll do a good job," White said. "And if not, we'll get rid of him."

Foley, an Air Force veteran who served nine years, is a medical device salesman with Boston Scientific. He lives in Salem with his wife, Nicole, and their three children.

His mayoral duties began Tuesday evening, when he threw out the opening pitch at a Salem Avalanche game.