Garden City Council member resigns 1 week before election. Here’s why and what it means.

The Garden City Council will have another open position with little more than a week before Election Day on Nov. 2.

City Council Member Pam Beaumont, 77, submitted her resignation from the council on Monday, abruptly ending her 16 years of serving on the body two years into her current four-year term. Her resignation will be effective as of Nov. 2, according to her resignation letter that was read during Monday’s City Council meeting.

Beaumont said in a phone call that she resigned due to “health reasons,” adding that it was the right time for her to leave.

She first joined the council in 2005 after former council member Mike Eddy’s resignation. She was reelected three times, most recently in 2019. She has lived in Garden City since 1990, according to the Garden City website.

While Garden City’s municipal election is only days away, residents will not yet vote on Beaumont’s seat. Mayor John Evans will have to appoint an interim councilor to serve until the next wave of elections in 2023, City Clerk Lisa Leiby said.

Two council seats are up for election this year: ones held by Teresa Jorgensen, who is seeking re-election, and Jeff Souza, who is not. The top two vote-getters will be elected. Along with Jorgensen, the candidates are Bill Jacobs, Greta Mohr and John McCrostie. Evans is running for re-election as mayor, challenged by local developer Hannah Ball.

The other council members unanimously accepted Beaumont’s resignation at Monday’s meeting.