The Hialeah City Council meeting and swearing in ceremony Tuesday night made it official -- Katherine Cue is the youngest person to serve on the Council.

Cue, who is 21, was appointed in a special meeting Nov. 18, when Council members were forced to find a replacement for Esteban ''Steve'' Bovo, who was recently elected to the State House of Representatives.

The St. Thomas University student, whose mother works as the city's communications director, will round out the seven-member dais that oversees the county's second-largest city. Hialeah's population ranks fifth in the state.

''I promise to work very hard for the 250,000 residents of Hialeah,'' Cue said in a quick acceptance speech delivered in English and Spanish to crowded chambers.

Despite protests on Internet blogs and rumblings from residents denouncing Cue's selection for the post because of her age and because her mother is a city employee, no one spoke about the decision during the public comments portion of the meeting.

''Earlier today she was going through the agenda with me and was asking me a lot of questions,'' Robaina said at the meeting. ``I felt proud that she had taken the initiative to look through all the pages and pages of background material that comes with our agenda.''

Cue, whose term runs through November 2009, was sworn in by Ana Maria Pando, a Miami-Dade Circuit Court judge, who advised the newly sworn councilwoman to keep her ``youthful enthusiasm.''

''Obviously you're very young, but I'm impressed by all the experience you have,'' Pando said at the swearing-in ceremony. ``Take all that youthful enthusiasm and do big things for this city.''

Bovo's departure also created an opening for a new Council president. The city Council unanimously chose former Council Vice President Carlos Hernandez to fill the role.

The Council also unanimously elected Councilman Jose ''Pepe'' Yedra to serve as Council vice president. With 13 years on the Council, Yedra is its longest-serving member and is in his last term due to limits. He never held one of the two higher ranking positions, though he said he once turned down a nomination to serve as Council president in the '90s.

''The first time I declined the honor,'' Yedra told Council members at the meeting. ``This time I am thankful to accept and for giving me the opportunity to serve the city.''

In other news:

• The Council is considering joining other cities such as Pembroke Pines and Doral, which have installed traffic cameras to catch red-light runners. Robaina said the city would likely try out two cameras to gauge its success in catching traffic offenders. The Council unanimously approved the measure; a final vote is Dec. 9.

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