Carlton and Thomson said "I do" with Tuesday's election, but the communities will have to wait a year before officially moving in together.
Carlton residents voted 171-10 in favor of merging. Neighboring Thomson approved the measure by a vote of 61-13. The city will be called Carlton, and the two city councils have begun working on future plans.
"We are trying to figure out what other services Carlton can help provide, how to merge the two city councils and how to combine tax prices," Carlton Mayor Kitty Bureau said.
This merge has a couple of advantages for residents. Carlton will have a bigger tax base and more land to expand. The new city will have more than 1,000 residents.
A majority of the Carlton and Thomson residents seem to be pleased with the results.
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"I've been longing to call myself a Carlton resident again, and now I can. Everything we need is in Carlton. This merge is wonderful," Carole Balow said.
Carlton schools Superintendent Peter Haapala is nonchalant about the merge.
"I don't have a problem with this merge at all," he said. "It doesn't seem like much has changed. I do think there will be a big financial saving for everyone."
The merger will not be complete until January 2015.
"I think the vote proves that everyone realizes the need for the merge," Bureau said. "We will all work together to get to where we need to be. This is a smart move for both cities. Now we can finally move forward."
