Granite Shoals councilor Davant resigns
Granite Shoals Place 3 Councilor Jim Davant (to the right of Mayor Will Skinner in the center) resigned his position Feb. 12. Photo by Ronnie Madrid/Divine Radiance Photography
Granite Shoals Place 3 Councilor Jim Davant resigned at 5 p.m. Feb. 12 effective immediately. Davant had already announced he would not seek re-election when his term was up in May 2021.
“It was time,” he said. “I had made the decision last year to not run, and I resigned as soon as I could. If I had resigned before the November election, it would have put the city in a bind. They can’t have three appointed council members according to the city charter.”
In spring 2020, Libby Edwards was appointed to fill the Place 5 unexpired term of Todd Holland. She lost to Shirley Martin in the November election.
During the fall, Carl Brugger resigned as mayor and Bruce Jones resigned from Place 1. Jones already was on the November ballot and was running unopposed, so he was only off of the council for a few days. Both resignations were to avoid a recall election in May.
Brugger’s term expires in May 2021. When he resigned, Mayor Pro-Tem Will Skinner became mayor and is seeking re-election in May for that position.
Davant said his decision to resign in February was made when City Secretary Elaine Simpson told him that resident Samantha Ortiz was running for his seat unopposed. He said he sent his resignation letter to Skinner on Feb. 12, which was the deadline for filing to run for a City Council seat in the May 1 election.
“If two people had filed (for Place 3), I would be compelled to stay,” he said. “With only one person running, it would make sense for the council to appoint Samantha Ortiz. I know for me, it was absolutely the right decision. I had decided last year not to run for re-election and to resign if only one person filed. I acted in that time on what I decided was in the best interest for the city. Now that it’s come and gone, I can leave with a clear conscience.”
