Former Cypress Centurion, Cole Thompson, is currently running for Cypress City Council. Thompson, a part of the class of 2020, participated in the Cypress High School student council for three years along with being a co-founder of the Student’s Association of Free Speech Club. This is Thompson’s first step into a career in politics, something he has always had in mind. “Some people have always wanted to be a doctor, others a teacher, but I always wanted to be in public service in some manner,” stated the aspiring politician.

Local government is not a commonly known profession, and the job of city officials is mostly a mystery to many people in our communities. The job of a member of city council is to handle the responsibilities of our street maintenance, police department, and manage budgets, while creating civil programs or allowing affordable housing to be built to benefit their community. 

Thompson will be a community-focused council member with plans to create more internship opportunities for our students, become more small business friendly during the pandemic, and to solve the problem of returning Cypress students who are unable to afford a living space due to the lack of affordable housing being built. “Solve the small problems now, so they don’t become big problems later,” is the motto that Thompson will stand by while in office.

The former Centurion has run into some obstacles while campaigning for his election in November, as Covid-19 is a prominent problem in the Orange County area. In a traditional election, many candidates would be using door-to-door knocking tactics and more in-person activities to boost popularity, but during these times candidates have turned to more creative means. Thompson has been using webinars to educate voters about his ideas and attitudes. One of the biggest disagreements that local politicians have with one another is their stances on taxes.  Taxes are a hot topic in these informational meetings. “I was one of the few candidates to not guarantee that I wouldn’t raise taxes,” stated the hopeful councilman. 

This November, Cole Thompson will be on the ballot for a spot on Cypress City Council to influence our community with his ideas and plans which he hopes will give our city a positive effect for years to come.