Special mayoral election on the horizon

Red Wing City Council and staff will prepare for a special election after Mayor Dennis Egan told the full council Monday he will resign effective April 1.

Egan said he will submit his letter of resignation in the coming days after announcing last week he would step down. He said he will work with the council and city staff during the transition period “to make sure there are no major gaps.”

He said while he will leave his leadership post, he will “continue to work for the … long-term good of the city of Red Wing.”

Council Administrator Kay Kuhlmann said staff will come up with a timeline for the special election process and bring it forward at the next City Council meeting, March 11.

The city has 85 days to hold a special election after a vacancy occurs, according to the city charter. That count starts when the council approves a resolution declaring the vacancy, which city attorney Amy Mace said could come closer to the April 1 date.

Egan’s resignation canceled the independent investigation approved by council members at their last meeting into his work with the Minnesota Industrial Sand Council.

City attorney Jay Squires had told the council there was no legal conflict of interest at this time in Egan holding both positions. Egan agreed, but told the Republican Eagle last week the issue became “a distraction to the city and my family.”

Dozens of citizens turned out at s City Council meeting earlier this month to discuss the issue. Many encouraged Egan’s resignation, but others said he should be able to hold both positions.

Craig Livingstone, a former City Council candidate, called the actions of the council at the last meeting “political bullying” Monday.

Some local residents, including attorney Carol Overland, told the council they thought Egan’s resignation should be immediate.

He was first elected in a February 2011 special election after former mayor John Howe left his post to serve as a state senator. Egan was re-elected in November with more than 73 percent of the vote.

The person chosen as mayor in the special election will serve the rest of Egan’s term, which ends January 2017.

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