Orono’s newly elected leaders have vowed to end the unrest. They will soon be put to the test.

Orono’s newly elected leaders have vowed to end the drama that has dogged city hall in recent years: Controversial land deals. A lawsuit with a neighboring city. Controversial elections fueled by thousands in campaign spending.

Those promises will quickly be put to the test as four new civil servants take the helm in January and immediately face crucial decisions about the future of the fire service and how they want to manage strained relationships in the city and with the communities in proximity.

“It’s a really big change,” said Council member Alisa Benson, the only elected official returning to office in Orono next year. “Having a new board will potentially be more challenging, but I think everyone is on board.”

The transition comes at a crucial time for the city of about 8,000, which borders portions of Lake Minnetonka and surrounds the smaller city of Long Lake. Cities were involved in a contentious process since Orono tried to break away to form its own fire department.

The November elections drew thousands in campaign spending as residents debated the future of the fire service, the merits of some land transactionsand what kind of relationship they wanted to have with the elected. Public meetings in Orono were sometimes contentious, with public leaders and residents swearing at each other. Some filed lawsuits against each other.

“Usually there’s nothing better on Netflix than an Orono City Council meeting,” said Long Lake Mayor Charlie Miner, who is looking forward to the change.

Tunheim, who overwhelmingly defeated longtime Mayor Dennis Walsh, is an attorney who previously chaired the Orono School Board. Ricks describes himself as a business owner with experience in rental and property development. Persian is a former Long Lake fire chief. They replace Council Member Richard Crosby, who decided not to run for re-election, and Council Member Maria Veach, who lost.