On Tuesday, the County Council selected political newcomer Sean Thomas to serve as interim auditor, replacing the former elected official, Craig Sorensen, who resigned last month amid a vehicle-abuse scandal.

Thomas, a 32-year-old Republican from Salt Lake City, will run the Auditor's Office the rest of the year and will be on the Nov. 2 ballot as the GOP candidate to serve out the remaining two years of Sorensen's term. Other political parties have yet to choose their candidates for the post.

Thomas, who will be sworn in Thursday, pledged to bring a citizen's perspective to the job.

"My only loyalty is to the taxpayers and citizens of Salt Lake County," Thomas told the council before his appointment. "I will do what I believe is in their best interest."

In a 5-3 party-line vote, council members chose Thomas from three people suggested by the County Republican Party, which by law must propose candidates to replace Sorensen, a Republican. The party put forward Thomas, David Beck, the current acting auditor, and MacRay Curtis, the local government division director of the state auditor's office.

The council's three Democrats voted for Beck. Thomas lost a race for the County Council District 1 seat in 2002 to incumbent Democrat Joe Hatch.

Sorensen resigned after The Salt Lake Tribune revealed questionable purchases with his county gas card. The former auditor has admitted stealing gasoline and the district attorney has charged him with second-degree felony misuse of public money.

Sorensen is scheduled for a court hearing Thursday.

After losing his bid to run in November as the GOP nominee, Beck recommended that Thomas be appointed interim auditor.

Thomas spent two years at the University of Utah before transferring to Arizona State University, where he earned a bachelor's degree in accounting. He served as vice president, general manager and, for a short time, as chief executive officer of Phoenix-based James Stewart Co., overseeing more than $100 million in assets.

He also served for a year as chief operations officer for Salt Lake City-based Brooke/Quest Financial Inc., managing cash flow, budgeting and financial projections.

He currently serves on three companies' boards of directors, including the James Stewart Co.; Thoughtform Corp., a Bountiful-based technology company; and High Country Pines Inc., an eastern Arizona water company. He and his wife, Nicole, co-own LatterDayBride.com.

tburr@sltrib.com