(Shoshoni, WY) – The Shoshoni Town Council voted to fill the vacant Council Member position at a Tuesday, November 30th special meeting, deciding on Shoshoni resident Tammie Hardtke.
Hardtke was nominated by Councilman Dimick, and the Council agreed unanimously.
The position was vacated by Councilman Ron Ankeny due to health issues, and announced at the October 26th regular Council meeting.
The candidates included Hardtke, former Shoshoni Police Chief Jim Litz, and Shoshoni resident Jordan Whitener.
Litz was the first interviewee, who stated that his 24 years of small town law enforcement experience and knowledge of the inner workings of small municipalities would be beneficial to Shoshoni.
“I’m not going to be a yes man,” Litz also commented during the interview.
Second interviewee Whitener, a business owner and husband to a Shoshoni school teacher, stated that he would bring a lot of knowledge to the table, especially on the technology front, and would also advocate for the youth.
The Council decided that they would choose a candidate that best exemplified their goal to strive for unity and conflict resolution within the Council, for the betterment of the town as a whole, ultimately choosing Hardtke.
“I’m a little nervous,” Hardtke stated during the initial interview.
“Don’t be. There’s only 348,000 people watching,” Mayor Joel Highsmith joked in response.
Once the nerves settled, Hardtke stated that she wanted to help move Shoshoni forward by promoting more businesses in town, especially a restaurant.
“I’d like to see the three “R’s”, Retail and Real estate that brings in Revenue,” Hardtke went on to state.
To watch the Council meeting in its entirety, click here.