The Omaha City Council voted unanimously Tuesday to select Thomas Mulligan as the council's newest member.
Immediately after the vote, Mayor Jim Suttle issued a statement congratulating Mulligan.
“I have had an open door policy with all council members, and I extend the same to Councilman Mulligan,” said Suttle. “I look forward to working with him in resolving the many issues that face our city.”
Council President Garry Gernandt said council members had reached a consensus and selected Mulligan from among the five finalists for the vacant northwest Omaha seat.
Mulligan “met all the criteria that the council was looking for,” Gernandt said. “He's open-minded on all issues.”
Mulligan, a 59-year-old Republican, will replace Chuck Sigerson, who resigned this year due to health problems. Sigerson, too, is a Republican.
The selection means Democrats will continue to hold a 4-3 majority on the council.
Three of the finalists for the District 7 seat were Democrats — Stephen Kraft, Gary Kudym and Jeri Regan. The other finalist, Scott Yahnke, was a Republican.
The council interviewed the five finalists at a special meeting last week.
Mulligan served on the Candlewood subdivision's sanitary and improvement district board of trustees from 1994 until the city annexed the neighborhood in 1999.
Gernandt said council members believed his experience on that board, especially on budget issues, would be an asset to the city.
Mulligan has worked at Union Pacific Railroad for 39 years.
He has been the railroad's director of passenger train operations with Amtrak since 1993.
Mulligan, 12311 Charles St., attended North Platte Junior College and Creighton University.
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