By Michael Pineda
Staff Writer
In what he described as a difficult decision, Kurt Mayabb submitted a letter of resignation as the mayor of Piedmont Monday morning.
Mayabb’s resignation comes less than one week after the October council meeting. He described himself as exhausted following his resignation. Monday evening, Mayabb provided a statement to The Piedmont Gazette.
“Albert Einstein said, ‘The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting a different result.’ I’ve never claimed to be a genius, but the words of this smart man make a lot of sense to me after working with the city of Piedmont for the last three and a half years.
“When I ran for mayor, I had no clue I was going to be filling a customer service position that really held no importance for City Hall. I hear from citizens every day about their concerns for the city and when I discuss them at City Hall, there are little, or no actions made to correct them. After careful consideration, I have resigned my position as Mayor. Many restless nights and prayers have led me to feel at this time it would be better for me to step aside and let someone else be the change that Piedmont so desperately needs. Thank you, citizens of Piedmont, for putting your faith in me for the past three and a half years to try and make a better city for you to live in.”
Mayabb said he has lost a lot of hours over the last week wrestling with the decision. He added the city has a good council and said he thinks it will be able to continue with the positive movement that has been made.
In terms of his immediate future, Mayabb said he is still a citizen of Piedmont and will still have a voice.
“I have been raised to be a giver and it will be hard not to give back,” he said. “I will take a little break and then you will see me back at it.”
Asked if he would ever consider running for public office again, Mayabb said, “Yes, if the citizens would allow me to.”
With the resignation of Mayabb, Councilwoman Melissa Ashford will fill his role as Mayor Pro Tem. City Manager Josh Williams said the city is working with the city attorney to determine a timeline for filling the position and trying to determine if there needs to be a special election.
“The resignation of Kurt Mayabb as mayor was untimely and it is going to leave a void in our city government until such time that our government can be made whole again,” he said.
Williams said that he believes Ashford, who represents Ward 5, has the experience to lead the city in a positive direction and continue the work that was taking place under Mayabb. He said the city and council will make sure work continues to move the city into the 21st century and cited ongoing water, sewer and road projects either underway or in the planning stages. He also said the city will continue to provide great services through its police and fire department along with city staff.
“Business will continue to move forward and hopefully improve with whoever becomes the new mayor of Piedmont,” Williams said.
