US mayor says he'll resign if re-elected
The mayor of the small Pennsylvanian borough of Montrose has an unlikely message for voters: Re-elect me, and I’ll quit.
Mayor Thomas LaMont, who has held office for 10 years, is the only candidate on the ballot for tomorrow’s election even though he’s not seeking another term. He received 23 write-in votes in the Republican primary in this borough of about 1,600 people.
“Now is just a good time to step away from it,” said LaMont, who announced that if re-elected he would resign the next day.
As word of the mayor’s intentions spread, some residents began campaigns to have voters write them onto the ballot.
John Wilson, a meter reader, said several borough employees encouraged him to make a run.
“I thought I might as well give it a shot,” he said.
LaMont says highlights of the job were presiding over weddings and Independence Day parades.
The mayor has also had to oversee the police department for the past year-and-a-half because the police chief’s job is vacant.
