By Mary Hladky
With Jeremy Rodgers on military duty overseas and unable to attend City Council meetings, his fellow council members will soon appoint a resident to serve the remainder of his term of office or until his deployment ends.
Rodgers notified council members in an Oct. 14 letter that he can’t attend meetings remotely, as he had hoped to do, and asked them to fill his seat.
He recommended his wife, Mandy, saying she is “best qualified” and “has no political ambitions or intent to run” for office.
Council members thanked Mandy for her willingness to serve but said they wanted to give all residents the opportunity. The city will accept applications until 5 p.m. Oct. 22. Council members will interview applicants on Oct. 26 and make the appointment on Oct. 27.
Rodgers’ term ends on March 31.
A lieutenant in the U.S. Navy Reserve, Rodgers was called to active duty and deployed in August to Qatar in support of NATO operations in Afghanistan.
He was elected to a three-year council term in 2015 and won re-election in 2018.
“We miss you,” said Mayor Scott Singer. “We are grateful for your service.”
Comments
I was shocked at the behavior Deputy Mayor Andrea "Levine" O'Rourke demonstrated during the meeting in response to this. He comments characterizing Mrs. Rodgers "motivation" were completely unnecessary and in contradiction to the content of the letter that was on the screen at the same time. Why she felt it necessary to put on that show was puzzling.