Sutherland said he felt he wasn’t given an opportunity to finish out his term.

“I sent an e-mail (resignation), unsigned of course, and it just sat there,” he said. “No one acted on it. I don’t like the way this whole thing went down.”

Sutherland admitted, however, that he no longer wanted to serve on the council.

“Deep down in my heart, I don’t want to be on City Council,” he said.

Sutherland said when he wrote his resignation letter he was “under the influence of medication” due to a recent surgery.

At left, Jody Sanders, who replaced Dave Sutherland on the Magnolia City Council.

City Attorney Leonard Schneider explained at a special council meeting July 1 that election codes state that a resignation has to be signed and in writing and if nothing happens in eight days the council member is off the council.

Sutherland submitted his resignation letter to council members via e-mail on June 10, but since it was in e-mail form it was not signed.

Before the July 1 meeting, Sutherland said that around 5 p.m. Deputy City Secretary Debra Brent asked him to come to City Hall and sign his resignation letter. He did so, and later in the evening, around 6 p.m. he attempted to withdraw his resignation.

Sutherland said he withdrew his resignation after a letter critical of him was written to local media.

“I tried to leave gracefully, but then I saw this letter in the paper,” he said. “I felt like it was a kick in the teeth.”

The City Council voted 4-1 to accept his resignation, with Sutherland being the only one opposed.

Longtime Magnolia resident Burhl “Jody” Sanders was voted in unanimously to take Sutherland’s place. Sanders will take over the vacant seat until the term expires in May of next year.

Sanders regularly attends City Council meetings and voices his thoughts during the public comment portions.

“I’ve always been interested in the way the city runs,” he said. “I hope to bring my ideas to the city and I think the Council’s job is to be fair to all citizens and not just a few.”

Before living in Magnolia, Sanders spent 10 years as a Department of Public Safety Officer in Lake Jackson.

Sutherland said he is looking to consult an attorney to see what his options are.

“I’ll do what I can as a private citizen,” he said. “I felt like I was attacked as a city councilmember and I want to defend myself as a city councilmember.”

Sutherland, a Magnolia resident since 1987, was first elected to the Council in 1994, and served as Mayor Pro Tem from 1995 to 1998. He was elected again to office in May 2004 and re-elected in May 2006 and May 2008.

Comments (1)

Subscribe to this comment's feed