(ABC 6 News) – Albert Lea city council swore in a new member at Monday’s meeting.

Reid Olson was appointed by the Albert Lea Mayor Rich Murray to fill a vacancy left by former Ward 4 city council member Sherri Rasmussen.

Related: Albert Lea’s Ward 4 City Councilor resigns

When Rasmussen stepped down in June, the candidate filing deadline had already passed, so the seat could only be filled by an appointment from Mayor Murray.

Olson was the first to reach out to Murray to throw his hat in the ring for the job. Murray met with a few other candidates, who ultimately decided this wasn’t the right time in their lives to take on the commitment of the job. Thus, Olson ended up as the perfect fit.

“This fall is gonna be very heavy in budget items, so I think he can hit the ground running, understanding that process and helping us through that,” said Murray. “The other thing is the city is really in need of housing, and he served on the HRA for a number of years.”

Olson previously held the position from 2007 until 2022, when he narrowly lost re-election. Even so, when his old seat became open again. he says he received many calls asking him to come back.

“Being away for the year and a half, I did miss, I did miss the position,” said Olson.

It was a proud moment for Olson, taking the oath to uphold his city’s values. One that was made even more special, as his family came to support him, which he says meant the world to him.

As Olson serves out the remainder of the term, which ends on December 31, 2026, he says affordable housing will be a top priority.

“For us to grow jobs, we need more housing, so it’s of the utmost importance is housing,” said Olson.

Mostly, Olson stepped up to be the experienced voice ward four needs.

“We’ve come so far in the last, you know ten, ten to twenty years, I just want to keep that progress going,” said Olson.

Olson says now that he’s back on the council he might like to seek re-election again in 2026, unless another great candidate were to step up to the plate. However, a lot can happen in the next two and half years, so that decision isn’t set it stone.