Ian Thomas announces bid for re-election to City Council
Current Fourth Ward City Councilman Ian Thomas announced Sunday he plans to run for re-election in the April elections. He said he made the decision to run this past summer.
He’s been a member of the Columbia council since 2013, and was re-elected in 2016. According to a press release, he received 65 percent of the vote.
“It is a tremendous privilege to serve on the City Council,” he said, “Over the last six years, I have worked hard to be responsive to constituents’ concerns and promote policies that ensure everyone has the opportunity to succeed.”
Thomas’s campaign will focus on planning for growth and promoting equity in city budget discussions.
He mentions specific policy goals in his press release, including improving public transit and raising development impact fees.
“One of the main reasons the City is struggling financially is because new housing does not pay its fair share for public infrastructure,” he said in the release. “That’s an equity issue which needs to be addressed.”
Thomas has been vocal about pedestrian safety for several years, and was key in introducing and implementing the city’s Vision Zero Policy.
Thomas is from Great Britain and moved to the United States in 1990. He has a Ph.D. in physics and a masters degree in education. He received his United States citizenship in 2008.
