NEW FACES ON THE CITY COUNCIL
By Bob Reiss, From the Re-Echo, Winter 2004

The Better Government League supported the Home Rule Charter because its members thought that form of government would attract new and better people to local government. For example, the first Council consisted of the following people:

Mayor: Russell Fernstrom

Councilmen:
CR Middleton
Carroll L Hurd
Howard Perkins
Herb Davis
HJ Bolmgren
Torval Jorvig

Many of these men had served on the Board for multiple terms, some for as long as 10 years, with few new faces.

Since none of the first Council members had been elected under the new Home Rule Charter, they were required to run for reelection by 1956. In the election held in November 1955, new names appeared on the ballot. Gene Schadow, Ken Wolfe, and Bob Ehrenberg won their contests to replace Middleton, Hurd, and Perkins. In the 1956 election, another newcomer, Herb Lefler, replaced Mayor Fernstrom. New younger faces were now running the new city.

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This information comes from a variety of sources: newspapers, books, yearbooks, phone directories, interviews, etc. Given the varied sources, we cannot guarantee that all of this information is correct, and welcome any additions and corrections. Please contact us with your contributions and comments.