Lamont mayor selected

Lamont appointed councilman Michael Breckenridge as mayor at a special session of the town council last Thursday night, Jan. 6. The appointment touched off controversy in Washington’s second-smallest town.

“People are getting passionate about politics in Lamont, and that passion’s a good thing for every community,” said outgoing mayor Steve Lacy.

Lacy resigned Jan. 3 to move to New Mexico.

Breckenridge has served on the council for three years, and has lived in Lamont for the past nine years. He asked late in the game to be considered for mayor.

Long-time resident Michael Thomas told the Gazette the city council denied him a shot at the job. Thomas works at his family’s auto repair shop in Lamont, and has been a regular attendee of council meetings.

Thomas was the only citizen to give the council a letter of interest in the position by its posted Dec. 19 deadline. Accompanying that letter were several letters of recommendation from citizens.

Thomas said he went door-to-door to whip up support from the community, but was not considered by the council for the mayor post.

“It’s a game. I just have to look at it like it’s a game,” said Thomas. “It’s just very frustrating when I jump over every hurdle they set for me and they just keep setting new hurdles.”

Long-time councilmember Betty Stone resigned her seat Thursday in response to the decision to disregard Thomas’ application.

Stone said she no longer felt her voice was being heard by other council members and had grown tired of it.

“It had become a kind-of one-sided council, and I don’t have the patience for that anymore,” she said.

Thomas was also denied his request to take Breckenridge’s vacant council seat. He has since applied for Stone’s seat.

The mayor’s term expires in November, when the seat will be on the ballot.