MONROE - Ward 9 Alderman Mike Rivers resigned from the Monroe Common Council Wednesday.
Rivers submitted a resignation letter to Mayor Bill Ross Wednesday morning. He released his letter to the public in the afternoon after Carol Stamm, city clerk, informed other council members.
"I don't want to use the standard statement 'for personal reasons,'" he said in an interview Wednesday. "Everyone deserves to know the truth why I made the decision I did."
River's used part of his resignation letter to describe his decision to leave the council.
"... While I was not part of the majority, I believed that I could get things accomplished by working together with the others. I was mistaken.
"Virtually no one has listened to anything I have brought up or discussed. Most of the time I have even been cut off while speaking. That is extremely unprofessional and disrespectful to say the least ... Most of the council seems to think that just because an item has been budgeted, that they simply approve it or rubber stamp it. I was working very hard on trying to change that mentality. It is my hope that you can work to change this mentality and return fiscal responsibility to the City of Monroe."
Ross said he was "beyond shocked" to receive Rivers' resignation, and did not know he was discontented or frustrated with being on the council.
"It told him I thought he was doing a great job, and I was looking forward to working with him on hiring the new administrator," Ross said.
He thanked Rivers and wished him well.
Rivers holds his office until the council votes in a successor.
The mayor typically presents a name to the council for consideration, Ross said. He said any Ward 9 resident interested in replacing Rivers should contact Stamm by Aug. 4.
Ross wants to fill the seat "immediately, or as quickly as possible," as the council heads into the city administrator hiring process and begins work on the 2011 budget, both in September.
A special election will be held for Ward 9 in April 2011 to fill the seat for the one-year remainder of the term.
Rivers was elected to the council April 6. He ran against Richard Thoman, after Kent Kallembach chose not to run for a second term. Kallembach was appointed to the seat in December 2007 to fill out the term of Mike Capesius who resigned to moved out of the state.
Rivers submitted a resignation letter to Mayor Bill Ross Wednesday morning. He released his letter to the public in the afternoon after Carol Stamm, city clerk, informed other council members.
"I don't want to use the standard statement 'for personal reasons,'" he said in an interview Wednesday. "Everyone deserves to know the truth why I made the decision I did."
River's used part of his resignation letter to describe his decision to leave the council.
"... While I was not part of the majority, I believed that I could get things accomplished by working together with the others. I was mistaken.
"Virtually no one has listened to anything I have brought up or discussed. Most of the time I have even been cut off while speaking. That is extremely unprofessional and disrespectful to say the least ... Most of the council seems to think that just because an item has been budgeted, that they simply approve it or rubber stamp it. I was working very hard on trying to change that mentality. It is my hope that you can work to change this mentality and return fiscal responsibility to the City of Monroe."
Ross said he was "beyond shocked" to receive Rivers' resignation, and did not know he was discontented or frustrated with being on the council.
"It told him I thought he was doing a great job, and I was looking forward to working with him on hiring the new administrator," Ross said.
He thanked Rivers and wished him well.
Rivers holds his office until the council votes in a successor.
The mayor typically presents a name to the council for consideration, Ross said. He said any Ward 9 resident interested in replacing Rivers should contact Stamm by Aug. 4.
Ross wants to fill the seat "immediately, or as quickly as possible," as the council heads into the city administrator hiring process and begins work on the 2011 budget, both in September.
A special election will be held for Ward 9 in April 2011 to fill the seat for the one-year remainder of the term.
Rivers was elected to the council April 6. He ran against Richard Thoman, after Kent Kallembach chose not to run for a second term. Kallembach was appointed to the seat in December 2007 to fill out the term of Mike Capesius who resigned to moved out of the state.