LAKE WORTH — Mayor Rene Varela abruptly resigned Tuesday by sending a letter to fellow commissioners, triggering a special election this summer to fill the mayor's seat.
Varela announced in December that he would not seek a second two-year term because his wife had taken a new job and moved to Maryland. At the time, Varela promised to complete the remainder of his first term, which ends in November.
Varela did not attend Tuesday's commission meeting. His resignation was announced in a letter read by Vice Mayor Suzanne Mulvehill.
"It has become clearer to me daily that my strongest desire is to be a supportive and present partner to my wife and hopefully growing family," Varela said in a letter. "However, it does come at the cost of no longer being able to serve the public that I have grown to love and respect."
City commissioners voted to have City Clerk Pam Lopez make arrangements for a special election within 60 days as required by the city charter. Lopez estimated the cost of the special election at $25,000. The date of the election has not been set.
Varela said in his letter that he chose to resign this month instead of waiting to take his new job later this summer so the city would be forced to hold a special election.
"To deny the public this basic right would be in contradiction to everything that I, and all of you, hold dear," Varela's letter said.
The city charter requires a special election to fill a seat if more than six months remain in an unexpired term. Varela's term extends until the Nov. 8 city election.
Mulvehill called the mayor's decision "fiscally irresponsible."
Commissioner Christopher McVoy suggested not accepting Varela's resignation and asking him instead to resign effective later this month to avoid the cost of the special election.
But City Attorney Elaine Humphreys said that postponing the mayor's resignation is not an option.
"It is done," Humphreys said. "A resignation is a resignation."
Several residents chided Varela for leaving the city after promising to complete the remainder of his term.
"Rene Varela has just kicked the residents when they were down," Katie McGiveron said. "We didn't deserve this. This was low."
Resident Barbara Jean Weber said she was "astonished" by the mayor's sudden resignation and surprised that he did not attend Tuesday's commission meeting to make the announcement in person.
"You have left no happiness for us," Weber said. "I want to look you in the eyes and have you somehow man-up to the situation."
Varela was elected following a runoff with Laurence McNamara in November 2009. He succeeded Jeff Clemens, now a state representative.
"It is my hope that the required election to fill my position will spark earnest debate over the future of our city and the values that we must preserve," Varela said in his letter.
willie_howard@pbpost.com
