PORT ANGELES — In a New Year’s Eve e-mail, Port Angeles City Council member Larry Little resigned from office, two days after his swearing-in.
In his message to City Manager Kent Myers and the rest of the council, Little wrote:
“It is with a great deal of sadness that I sit to write to you all . . . Sometimes life places a decision point in your path. You just have to choose. As many of you know, the real strength of our family, Michelle [his wife], is in the midst of a fight against cancer. She is in the middle of chemotherapy.”
“She is stronger than me and I know that she is saddened that I am making this decision to resign.
“I thought I could do it,” Little continued. “But already things have been forced to slide in some of my other obligations. First in my list of priorities is the physical and emotional health of my family. My obligations with the Volunteers in Medicine clinic are second.”
Little, 55, is executive director of the Port Angeles clinic.
“I thank you all who have given me support,” he wrote in the conclusion. “You deserve someone who can give you more than I can right now.”
Port Angeles city spokeswoman Teresa Pierce, working New Year’s Day to issue a statement about Little’s resignation, said the City Council will discuss during its Tuesday meeting the process it wants to use to fill the vacated seat.
“In the past, they have opened a period of time for people to submit applications,” and appointed a replacement, Pierce said.
The council will convene at 6 p.m. Tuesday in chambers at 321 E. Fifth St.
In the Nov. 3 election, Little won City Council Position 1, defeating Cody Blevins, a salesman at Hi-Tech Electronics. Little was to have succeeded Mayor Gary Braun, who did not run for re-election.
Little took the oath of office last Tuesday along with new council member Patrick Downie.
Council members-elect Max Mania and Brooke Nelson will be sworn in at the council chambers at 5:30 p.m. Tuesday.
During the meeting to follow, Nelson, Mania, Downie and fellow members Don Perry, Cherie Kidd and Dan DiGuilio will then select a mayor and deputy mayor.
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Sequim-Dungeness Valley Reporter Diane Urbani de la Paz can be reached at 360-681-2391 or at diane.urbani@peninsuladailynews.com.
