Correction: This article was updated to change Bill Thompson’s nickname to “Bulldog.”
ROCK SPRINGS – David Thompson will be the new Ward II Rock Springs City Council member.
David was officially inducted to the Council Tuesday night following a majority vote. He fills a vacancy created by Tom Allen when Allen resigned from the seat. Allen originally defeated David in the 2022 general election. Following his appointment, he will serve as the replacement until 2024, when an election for the remaining two-years of the original four-year term will take place. The subsequent election in 2026 will be for a full four-year term.
David was the only person who submitted a letter of interest to Mayor Max Mickelson. According to the city clerk’s office, a second interested person called prior to the Oct. 11 deadline, but was unable to submit a letter before the city offices closed.
David told SweetwaterNOW the desire to serve on the Council comes from a lifetime of service to the communities he has lived in. He is a former Marine and retired after working a career in law enforcement with the Rock Springs Police Department and the Sweetwater County Sheriff’s Office.
The initial idea to seek election came after his wife April posted a button David’s father used in an election bid for Rock Springs Mayor years ago. David’s father, Bill “Bulldog” Thompson, served on the Rock Springs City Council during the 1990s. The post received a large amount of traction amongst David’s friends and after receiving encouragement from his children, he decided to seek election.
David said he doesn’t have issues he wants to address as a Council member. He wants to bring accountability to the Council, though he doesn’t believe the Council has problems being accountable to Rock Springs’ residents. He also wants to add to the fiscal responsibility he believes is already practiced amongst the Council representatives. He’s also aware he doesn’t know a lot about different departments and what they do but looks forward to learning more.
“I have a lot to learn,” he said.
