Apple Valley — During an Apple Valley Town Council meeting held March 17, Mayor Marty Lisonbee resigned from his position. His term as mayor began Sept. 6, 2018.
“Everybody is in the room ready for my big announcement of resigning, and that’s what’s going to happen, I’m going to resign,” Lisonbee said during the meeting.
He said he’d had a lot of time to think about what has transpired in his time as mayor, adding that it wasn’t exactly what he expected.
“I really thought this job would be a pretty easy job,” he said. “I mean, just make good common sense decisions that are not based on your own personal beliefs as much as what is best for the community.”
He went on to say that he found it interesting how easy it was for “people to be swayed by friends,” but added that it was never his intention to become mayor to have friends but rather “to do what’s right every single time.”
Lisonbee then spoke about a couple “nasty” texts he received from residents about building permits, and he also talked about disagreements with Rod Mills, the water district engineer.
“I’ve done the best I can, and I feel like I’ve been fighting an uphill battle in many departments and many areas,” he said.
Dale Beddo, mayor pro tem, thanked Lisonbee for his service and offered his perspective.
“To go to the extent that some of the residents have gone to in personal attacks, in just despicable type comments to someone who has donated the majority of their life and time to serve this community,” Beddo said, “and to see some of the things that have been said about about Marty as an individual and not as a mayor, and make those personal attacks, it’s embarrassing.”
Lisonbee finished his comments after other council members thanked him for his service.
“I’m very capable of hanging in and being mayor, it’s not a hard thing for me to continue to do,” he said. “This is why it’s important to me.”
He then displayed a picture of his granddaughter.
“This kid right here is what makes my world go round right now. Having the time for the baby, and to go out and do some traveling, that’s what is prompting me more than anything,” Lisonbee said. “Putting up with the haters and all that, that’s easy to d. That’s not that challenging. I’m not leaving because of that. I’m leaving because of that kid that I really want to spend time with. I know how fast those days go by.”
In a phone conversation with St. George News on Tuesday, Lisonbee added another reason for resigning.
He said it goes back to August 2018, when he was on the Apple Valley Planning Commission and was asked to be appointed mayor after Robert Campbell resigned.
“I became mayor because they wanted me and because I wanted to help the community,” Lisonbee said.
He ran for election that September.
Lisonbee said the time in between, this “incumbency period,” as he called it, prepared him for the job and increased his qualifications to be elected.
“I resigned now because I hope Dale Beddo will be appointed,” Lisonbee said. “I have no say in who they pick and it’s not up to me, but I think as mayor pro tem he’s the best qualified.”
Lisonbee added that he hoped an incumbency period before running for election would help Beddo, as he said it had helped him.
“I 100% did it so he’ll have that incumbency period that I had,” Lisonbee said. “I hope he’s the guy. I think Dale will make an awesome mayor.”
Lisonbee’s term was set to end Dec. 31.
Apple Valley is actively seeking to fill this vacancy. Applications for mayor are available online. Interested individuals must be qualified and validated by the town recorder. To qualify, applicants must be a U.S. citizen, a resident of Apple Valley and registered to vote in Apple Valley.
The deadline for submission is Thursday by 5 p.m. The meeting to fill this position will be held during a Town Council special meeting April 2 at 6 p.m.
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