Musa Luong (aka Klaas G.) has been named the new owner of the New Orleans City Council. After the City Council’s meeting on the subject on Monday, Luong issued the following statement:

“I am so excited to announce that I am the new owner of the City Council. The decision and the very serious discussion about the election process is very surprising and I hope that this incident may be resolved in a fair and expeditious manner as soon as possible.”

City Council President Cathy Woolard thanked Luong for his efforts in overseeing the elections and added, “I am very proud of my colleague Luong. He has been a wonderful and kind leader and he can be proud of this great experience that we’ve had with him.”

Luong, a long-time Republican activist and political novice, has served on the City Council since February 2009. As of this week, Luong’s term expires in September. His first term as a member expired in May, making Luong his second-ever elected official to step down. As a founding executive who served as the Mayor’s Chief of Staff, Luong oversaw much of Mayor Mitch Landrieu’s transition to Mayor. In May 2014, he was named to the City’s Commission on Fiscal Responsibility and Management, in spite of vehement opposition from Landrieu.

In a press release on Monday, Luong said that he was working to “change the climate of my old office to ensure that no one is ever elected to that office again” and explained that he wanted to “delve deeply into my role” and become involved in the policy debate that is the primary focus of his new office. Luong will also be representing more than half the Council on several committees.

“I see my time in office as about helping to empower future political leaders and serving them to make the District a good place to live,” Luong said.

Luong, who has said that he will be an “independent” and “nonpartisan” official, made his transition public at Thursday’s meeting of the City Council. In a press release released by his office, Luong explained his reasons for stepping down and stated that he “was elected representative to the voters of New Orleans, and I am proud of what has begun at City Hall as my City Council presidency.”

Luong told LaBouche that “my decision to step down was not tied to any specific events,” and