Politics & Government

Council Members Surprised by Carolyn Bucey's Resignation (Updated)

Read Carolyn Bucey's lengthy letter describing her frustrations with politics and her decision to resign.

Editor's note: This story was updated at 9:30 a.m., Aug. 7, 2013. Incorrect information appeared in an earlier version.

Mentor City Councilwoman Carolyn Bucey has announced her resignation, leaving other members scratching their heads.

"Your guess is as good as mine," Council President Scott Marn said when asked what may have led to the announcement.

Councilwoman Janet Dowling said she was "a bit stunned by the timing" of the resignation.

"I sat next to Carolyn at last week's special council meeting, and yet I had no clue that would be the last time," Ward 2 Councilman Bruce Landeg added.

The News-Herald reported that Bucey announced her resignation in a letter sent to city officials on Monday. Her last day will be Aug. 19. Bucey has not responded to emails and calls from Mentor Patch seeking comments.

In her letter, embedded and downloaded from The News-Herald's Scrib'd account, Bucey sounds fed up with local politics. The most recent example is her disapproval of the planning commission voting for additional changes to the Newell Creek Development project, which is adjacent to Bucey's home. She spoke out at the meeting, but felt that her concerns, as well as those of other residents, were not heard.

"I also most recently have come to fully understand and now (publicly) acknowledge that I have completely lost my voice both literally and figuratively in Mentor politics," she wrote.

The next step is for council to appoint Bucey's replacement for the remaining two years on her term. Marn said he did not want to rush into doing so, but the matter will be discussed at council's Aug. 20 meeting.

Though she does not list names, Bucey's letter also takes shots at some, if not all, of the council members up for re-election this November. She also wrote an email last week to city officials and media members pledging that she would be actively "seeking out highly qualified humble public servants to run and therefore PERSONALLY help in any way possible for 1, possibly 2, of the at large seats!

"I will not mention which ones," she wrote.

Ward 4 Councilman John Krueger took exception to the email, labeling it "inappropriate" and writing, "I don't think this enhances the working atmosphere that most of council is trying to achieve."

Though Marn could be one of the at-large members Bucey targeted in that email, he said the resignation caught him by surprise because his last interaction with Bucey was a complimentary one on her part. He says he called the councilwoman following a meeting between city officials and Lake County Commissioners about the sanitary sewer system and its issues that led to flooding July 20.

"(Bucey) thanked me for being proactive and said I did a great job meeting with the commissioners," Marn recalled.

"That was the last time I spoke to her."


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