Mayor Considers New Name For Town

What’s in a name when $100,000 is at stake?

Almost nothing, according to the mayor of this small rural town in central Washington, which may consider being renamed McGillicuddy City because the price is right.

Sazerac Co., a New Orleans bottling company, is offering the money to any town willing to be named after its brand of Canadian-made schnapps, Dr. McGillicuddy.

“Hey, we’ll do whatever it takes. We need the money,” said Mayor Mike Stark, who plans to discuss the offer at the next council meeting.

Qualifying towns have to have a hotel and saloon and experience snowfall at least half the year. Applicants have only to write a letter saying why their town would make the best McGillicuddy City.

“We’ve got a defunct hotel and sort of a saloon. I call it a bar, but it could be a saloon,” Stark said.

He added that Royal City - population 1,104 - “qualified bigtime” this year in the snow category.

“We were right up there with Vermont,” Stark said.

One restriction: The money, which would be paid over four years, has to be spent on improvements to the town such as roads and parks.

So far, there are no competitors in sight, but Sazerac officials say things may change when word of the offer gets out.

The chosen town can return to its original name after the payments stop, Sazerac says.

If all this sounds familiar, it’s because it’s similar to a national radio show promotion 50 years ago that resulted in Truth or Consequences, N.M.

Not everyone is impressed with the McGillicuddy possibility.

Dick Keeney, mayor of nearby Warden east of here, said he had heard of the contest but had thought the award was $400,000.

“Even at $400,000, that’s no big deal,” Keeney said. “I’m not interested.” The money would hardly pay for a street, let alone a park, he said.

The deadline for the contest is June 30.