Morrison residents voted Tuesday to elect a new mayor and four new Board of Trustees positions and to decide on ordinances pertaining to retail marijuana.
Results supported a retail marijuana store east of the Dakota Hogback Formation, as well as a retail marijuana tax of 6.25%, which also allows the Board of Trustees to increase or decrease the tax rate without a vote as long as it does not exceed 11.25%.
According to the unofficial results posted by the Town of Morrison, these two ballot questions both passed with large margins, indicating the public’s support for the retail marijuana business in town.
Four positions were open on the six-person Board of Trustees in Morrison, plus the position of mayor.
Paul Sutton, whose seat was up for reelection, was able to secure his spot on the board once again. He will serve three more years.
“I will continue to serve the town as best I can….Keep development slow, promote wellbeing, keep Morrison a great place to live,” Sutton said.
David Wirtz, who was appointed to the board last year, was elected Tuesday as well. He also will serve three years on the board.
“I’m really looking forward to being on the board and looking forward to serving the town,” Wirtz said.
Adam Way, a 30-year resident of Morrison, is excited to provide a fresh perspective to the board, according to his comments at the candidate forum. He joins the board with a three-year term.
Former mayor Sean Forey, whose eight-year term as mayor was term limited, ran for a position on the Board of Trustees. He will be serving a two-year term.
Forey said he’s “looking forward to getting some things done in Morrison.”
The three Board of Trustees candidates who got the most votes will serve three-year terms, while the candidate who gets the next highest number of votes will serve a one-year term. The reason for the difference in terms is because two trustees were appointed in 2021, and those positions are required to be on the next ballot. The different terms will allow the town to return to three trustees elected every two years.
Chris Wolfe, who spent 10 years in the past as a member of the Board of Trustees, was elected as the town’s mayor. During the candidate forum, he indicated that he hopes to “keep Morrison Morrison” and not change to be like other towns.