LUSK - Lusk voters let their voices be heard on Tuesday, May 7, as they went to the polls to select candidates for Town Council.

Incumbent Ronson Pfister successfully retained his seat on the council. Pfister sought another four years so that he could continue to address various economic issues facing not only Lusk, but also Wyoming and the rest of the nation. Inflation and the cost of living have captured Pfister’s attention as of late. He hopes to spend his next four year term tackling those and other issues related to the economy.

“The reason I ran is that I have concerns about government at the state and the national level,” Pfister told the Herald. “I am afraid the challenges of the next four years could create some real problems for towns like ours where resources are real hard to gather. I hope I am wrong, but I am afraid I am not. The challenge is huge and I am afraid it might resemble what happened from the late seventies through the middle of the eighties. It was a difficult time for this county. I hope that doesn’t happen but everything that’s occurred on the national side with regard to spending would lead me to believe that’s coming our way.”

While Pfister anticipates many economic hurdles that need to be cleared going forward, he is grateful to the people of Lusk for giving him an opportunity to be part of the solution.

“Thank you and I hope I can be a positive factor,” said Pfister.

The people of Lusk also voted to place 18-year law enforcement veteran Justin Bo Krein on the town council for four years. Krein is a familiar face to many in the Town of Lusk. His childhood was spent in the local area and he served Lusk residents for a number of years as the town’s Chief of Police. Krein hopes to spend the next four years tackling issues such as local business growth and infrastructure development. The former police chief sees his new position on the town council as a continuation of his contribution to town life.

“I am looking forward to further serving the Town of Lusk,” said Krein.

Incumbent Thomas D. Dooper was also returned to the town council for another two years. Dooper has spent more than 35 years working at the Lusk State Bank. While his time with Lusk State Bank will come to a close in August of this year, he will still be employing his knowledge in the realm of finances to address the town’s need for more money and tax revenue. Prior to the release of election results, Dooper told the Herald that he would be spending his time fishing if he were defeated. Re-election, it seems, has sidelined those plans.

Candidates’ names were not the only thing on this year’s ballot. Lusk residents were also presented with a choice to either keep or reject a two percent lodging tax. The tax has been collected from local hotels and campgrounds for several years now and is used to promote tourism in the Town of Lusk. The people of Lusk decided to keep the tax, with 216 voters casting ballots for it.