Albert Lea Mayor-elect Vern Rasmussen announced at the end of the Albert Lea City Council meeting Monday that he has accepted the immediate appointment as mayor, after winning the general election last week.

Rasmussen, who had previously been serving as 1st Ward councilor, will be sworn in as mayor by City Clerk Shirley Slater-Schulte on Wednesday, with a ceremonial swearing-in to be conducted at the next City Council meeting.

With a vacancy in the mayoral seat after Mike Murtaugh resigned as mayor in September, Rasmussen was asked whether he would take an immediate appointment or instead wait to begin his regular term in January.

Because he chose to begin as mayor immediately, there will be a special election for a new 1st Ward councilor. If he had waited until January to start as mayor, the council could have appointed this position.

“We’ve had some challenges here in Albert Lea, and I think this is the first step in getting over those challenges and moving ahead,” Rasmussen said of why he chose to take the immediate appointment. “I came to the realization that we need to take those steps, and we can’t continue to push those steps back.”

He said he also likes that this decision gives 1st Ward residents the opportunity to decide their next council representative.

Though the official time frame for a special election was not known Monday, Rasmussen estimated it would probably be held in March or April.

Slater-Schulte said discussion about a special election will not take place for another week, until after the period has passed for the election results to be contested.

Rasmussen said the other council members were supportive of whatever decision he made, noting they understood pros and cons for both options.

Sixth Ward Councilor Al “Minnow” Brooks has been filling in as mayor since Murtaugh resigned in September, following the death of his wife, Geri.

Because it was too late to withdraw his name from the ballot, Murtaugh’s name was also an option for mayoral seat. The former mayor had asked people to not vote for him, saying he would not take the position if elected. Murtaugh received 28 percent of votes cast, while Rasmussen received 62 percent. More than 600 write-in votes were also cast.