AMERICAN FALLS — Gilbert Hofmeister took over as interim mayor of American Falls in July after Mayor Rebekah Sorensen stepped down, and now the longtime City Council member is seeking to keep the job.

Hofmeister, elected to the City Council at age 21, had previously served for over 11 years and was City Council president when Sorensen approached him about taking the helm as interim mayor this past summer.

“She was going to try to finish her term which is up at the end of the year, but … life, as you know, happens and she got (busy),” said Hofmeister, adding that she approached him about assuming the role while he was president to ensure he could commit the time needed for the position.

A Power County native, Hofmeister graduated from Rockland High School in 2010 and currently owns and operates the family farm Hofmeister Brothers and the transportation company 5 Star Trucking with his brother, James. He and his wife, Mariah, have two children, Harper and Huxson.

He’s not the only one in his family who have decided to enter the realm of local politics. His aunt, Amy Manning, was a previous American Falls mayor, his grandmother was a previous Power County commissioner, and his father is currently a commissioner for the Power County Highway District.

“We just have always been active like that in the community,” he said. “We figure it’s a good way to give back to the community that has always given back to us.”

Hofmeister said he has no huge plans that differ from Sorensen’s and will continue working on current projects of the city. This includes a $35 million water infrastructure project to repair the plumbing of the city, which was started roughly a year ago.

“It’s always my priority to be fiscally responsible and that’s always tough because small rural communities don’t always get the funding they need, so keeping everything running as needed is sometimes tricky,” he said, although his background of running a business and over a decade of experience of serving on the City Council will help keep the transition running smoothly.

Hofmeister’s name will be on the ballot in November to officially get elected. His only opponent Mark Love, dropped out of the race but did so after the deadline so his name will still appear on the ballot, too.