Council member urges Rothbury president to consider resigning amid attendance concerns

At the Dec. 16 Rothbury Village Council meeting, Council member Denise Kurdziel read a prepared statement into the record asking Village President Vern Talmadge to consider resigning if he cannot provide the level of engagement the village needs.

"The Village President has an opportunity to start fresh and fully step into the leadership role of this position. That means actively engaging in village activities and raising the bar on how the village operates. Leadership requires more than presiding over meetings-it requires engagement between meetings and an understanding of what is happening throughout the village. If that level of engagement cannot be provided, I believe it is in the best interest of the village for the Village President to consider resigning and allow the Council and Community to move forward. I welcome input from other Council members and respectfully ask that this statement be included in the meeting minutes," Kurdziel said.

Kurdziel prefaced her remarks by reading the council's attendance policy from the ordinance manual, which sets out a process for notifying the clerk and having the council decide in a public meeting whether an absence is excused and establishes a record of absences that could lead to vacating a seat for absenteeism.

Autum Drake voiced support and said she understood Kurdziel's concerns, noting a perceived lack of presence and participation. President Vern Talmadge responded to the criticisms by offering an explanation for recent absences and saying the duties of the office were not too much for him; he did not resign or ask the council for a vote on the matter.

No formal motion to remove or discipline the president was made during the meeting, and the council took no vote on resignation. The meeting continued with other agenda items and adjourned at 7:56 p.m.