Thomas elected as mayor
By Alyssa Meier
Editor
City commissioner Larry Thomas took home the most votes and the position of Mayor in Washburn’s special election on Tuesday.
Thomas, a lifelong resident and current member of the city commission, Planning and Zoning board and 1 cent sales tax committee, will be sworn in on Sept. 14 at the Washburn City Commission meeting as President of the Commission, a position commonly referred to as mayor. Thomas beat out fellow Washburn resident Brandon ‘Buddy’ Lazier, a coal dryer operator at Nodak Energy, by a vote of 124 to 24.
Thomas was a city employee for 20 years, which he said has made him knowledgeable of the city workings and infrastructure, which he called a ‘very expensive concern’ in the city.
"Taking care of the existing infrastructure and attracting new residents is very important. I would like to see many properties cleaned up and sidewalks updated to allow adults, and especially children, to have safe routes to navigate the city."
Thomas referenced the continued use of surge and 1 cent sales tax money to fund infrastructure projects and take some of the burden off of taxpayers.
