Barton Alderman was sworn in Tuesday night as the mayor of Springfield, returning to a post he held for five years.

Alderman was the only candidate to sign up for a special election called to fill the seat, left vacant when Jeff Northway resigned in July.

Alderman first was appointed to city council in February 2001, taking over for Derrell Banks. In July 2004, he was appointed to fill the unexpired term of Mayor Neel Ackerman. Alderman was unopposed for re-election to a full term in 2005 and did not seek re-election in 2009.

The mayor’s position became open when Northway, elected in 2009 to succeed Alderman, resigned last month. Northway’s resignation followed a lengthy legal battle, beginning with council members asking for his resignation in November 2010. A superior court judge upheld their request in July 2011, but the state’s highest court overturned that decision in June.