Voters are still waiting to see if Cecil Yates respects them and the democratic process, as there has been no announcement of when he will resign his council seat to run for mayor.

If he resigns by the end of April, voters will decide who fills the remaining two years of his term. If he waits to resign until the end of May, the mayor and her council will appoint someone of their choice, denying you a vote.

The word on the street is that Yates plans to ignore voters and wait until the end of May, and that his replacement has already been chosen. Mr. Yates, you could stop that rumor now by announcing that you will resign by the end of April.

It’s not hard to believe that someone has already been chosen, as secret meetings seem to be par for the course for the mayor and members of her council. Remember the crazy lagoon being sprung on unsuspecting council members and citizens (then throwing away $40,000 for an unused study), and firing the town lawyer (costing an extra $160,000 for the town) in an unprofessional public flogging? One can only guess why the mayor, Yates and some other council members were semi-hysterical that the lawyer responded to a call regarding the unpaid fees for the Park Place fiasco. This type of behavior is one reason many people will not vote for a property tax – distrust of the council.

If Yates refuses to give voters a choice in his replacement, that is a huge red flag about how he would treat the citizens of this town, if he would happen to become mayor. Mr. Yates, do you respect democracy enough to resign by April 30 so that voters decide who fills your term? You owe the town that.