Lamont mayor steps down

Seeking a warmer climate, Steve Lacy, mayor of Lamont, announced he will resign the position next month to move nearer to family members living in Albuquerque, N. M.

“It’s been fun, but it’s time to for me to move on,” Lacy told the Gazette Monday.

Lacy’s tenure was not without controversy, but he credited the cooperation of the town council and his neighbors for helping with several improvements.

Lacy said he has family in New Mexico and expects to find more work as a computer consultant in Albuquerque’s booming defense industry.

“Certainly it had its ups and downs, but I really think we’ve put Lamont on the map,” he said. “A lot of these small towns, most people don’t really care about. But we all really do care about Lamont.”

Lacy took the mayor’s post in January 2005. In that span, the town has completed a million-dollar overhaul of its water system, brought in high-speed internet service and is in the midst of building a new library.

“I think that’s plenty of time to do a lot of good work,” he said.

Lacy was in office when the city, through a grant from the state Transportation Improvement Board, paved four city streets for the first time.

He was also serving when Lamont purchased its first town vehicle in its 102-year history - a 1985 Ford F250 pickup bought last year to help plow snow off the newly-paved streets.

He credited the council and his neighbors for helping see through the improvements.

Lamont City Council expects to name a new mayor in a special session next Monday, Dec. 20. Interested candidates have until Sunday to contact city hall.