City & Government, Creswell

New Creswell mayor to fill interim role after election

CRESWELL — The winner of the Creswell mayor race next month will step up as appointed mayor through the end of the year, city council decided Monday night. 

With three months left on his term, former mayor Richard Zettervall resigned Sept. 30, saying he was disheartened by community reaction to the council’s discussions on equity. 

“Equity and inclusion … must be addressed and should not be pushed aside because of public perception. But that’s what happened,” Zettervall wrote. “The Resolution died … and so did a part of me.” 

Councilor Martha McReynolds Jr. resigned Oct. 12. “I have no tools to satisfy the shouting, annoyed rabble in the face of facts not working,” McReynolds wrote in her resignation letter. “I enjoy the work enormously, but the people-part has, for now, broken me for public service.”

City manager Michelle Amberg said that having the winner serve in the interim role would help her prepare council agendas and conduct new councilor orientations before January. 

“That would be much more effective with whomever is going to be the mayor in 2021,” Amberg said.

Council president Amy Knudsen and councilor Kevin Prociw are running for mayor. The next city council meeting is scheduled for Nov. 12, at which point the winner would be appointed mayor. 

McReynolds’ term expires in December, and the council chose to leave the position open until January, when the newly-elected councilors will be sworn in. 

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