LIVE OAK — Moments after swearing J. Don Allen in as the City of Live Oak’s newest councilman, Judge Lin Williams gave Allen one bit of advice.

“All business and no fun is not a recipe for success,” Williams said after having to conduct an audible during the middle of the swearing in ceremony when the oath said Suwannee Valley Genealogy Society instead of Live Oak City Council.

“You have to be able to enjoy yourself. If you’re enjoying life, the people that deal with you will also be much happier.”

But the brief pause did nothing to dampen Allen’s enthusiasm for joining the council and getting to work.

“I’m glad to be here and I’m ready to get started,” Allen said less than three days after being elected to the position with a narrow 68-53 win against David Blevins in the special election to fill the District 5 position.

In fact, Allen had already gotten a preview of his new job prior to being sworn in.

After stopping by City Hall on Thursday to pick up paperwork to fill out, he provided city staff with the phone number he’d like residents to be able to contact him on.

It didn’t take long for those calls to start rolling in.

“They told me they already had a list and the phone has already started ringing,” Allen said. “This morning I stopped to get the paper and the lady at the Jiffy store said, ‘Now, my road needs speed bumps and there’s not enough signs about children playing.’

“So, I know what I’ve got to look forward to.”

But that’s OK with Allen.

He told city officials and friends and family in attendance at the ceremony that he will need help to get things accomplished now that he’s in office.

“I know that I can’t do anything by myself, so it’s team building is where we start,” he said. “This is going to be a climb I’m very much looking forward to.”

Mayor Sonny Nobles was eager for Allen to get started as well.

“This district has gone long enough without a representative,” Nobles said.