The city of Maplewood announced Friday that Councilmember Eleanor Pardini (Ward 2) resigned her seat on the city council effective Friday, April 9. The city posted her letter of resignation.
The beginning of Pardini’s letter explaining her decision:
Neighbors and friends,
I’m writing to let you know that I will be resigning from Maplewood City Council effective Friday, April 9, 2021. This has been an incredibly difficult decision to make. I have arrived at this place through much introspection and deliberation. In the last two years, I have faced a series of difficult losses and transitions in my personal life. My life is simply very different than it was when I filed to run in the fall of 2018. In 2020, I served as the sole caregiver for my mom and lost her to cancer late last year. I am now solely responsible for settling my mom’s affairs. Navigating this loss and responsibility, and a deep sea of sadness and grief, has been made more difficult through the forced isolation of COVID. While I have managed to stay afloat and continued to do work for City Council that I am proud of, the last eight months have been an incredible struggle for me. Stepping away from Council is the right choice for me right now so that I can have the time and space I need to prioritize my health and the wellbeing of my family…
See Pardini’s complete letter on the city of Maplewood website.
According to the city charter a special election will be held within 60 days of the vacancy to fill her seat.
From the city charter: Sec. 3.5. – Vacancies; forfeiture of office; filling of vacancies.
Filling of vacancies. A vacancy in the council, or in the office of the mayor, shall be filled by the council by a majority vote of all its remaining members (including the mayor), for a period running to the next regular election unless such period exceeds 180 days. In the latter case, the council shall make arrangements for a special election to fill such vacancy for the unexpired term. Said election shall be held within 60 days of the time the vacancy occurs…
we are going to miss Eleanor. She really cared about Maplewood. But it sounds like she has a lot on her plate and she had the courage to decide that she needed to take care of herself. I applaud her for that because not everyone does and when they don’t people suffer. I hope that her time away from politics helps her feel some relief, get some rest and perspective on her life and that she comes back knowing she did the right thing for her and her family.
We’ve been lucky to have Eleanor on the council! Best wishes to her and her family.
What’s next? A special election? Can this seat be filled in August? Our ward needs a representative on the council!
Sarah Crosley doesn’t count as representation?