Council Pres. Relieved Councilor Garfield Is Now Resigning

SUPERIOR, Wis. – Superior city council president Dan Olson spoke out Thursday evening after councilor Graham Garfield had a change of heart and released a statement that he would be resigning after all.

“Right now, for me, it’s a relief because we were put in a bad situation because of the stuff going on with Mr. Garfield,” Olson explained. “I think he made the right decision for himself and everybody involved.”

The following is the full text of Garfield’s statement Thursday.

In the two days since I announced I would remain on council, I have seen a negative reaction, and pressure put on other members of the council that distracts from the true purpose of city government. Out of concern for the well-being of the community and wishing no harm upon my colleagues, I announce that I will be stepping down. It has been one of my life’s greatest pleasures to serve the people of this city, and I hope that I can be an asset to the community again someday. I continue to support, as a citizen, a progressive agenda that will benefit all members of the community and make our city a better place to live.

Meanwhile, Olson says this decision by Garfield will help the council focus 100 percent on city needs.

“We’ve got a lot of tough decisions to make and it takes all 10 councilors to be on their game, to know what we’ve got on,” Olson said.

The city council will accept Garfield’s resignation at the next council meeting May 16.

The council will then decide whether to leave the seat vacant, hold a special election or open the seat up for applications from any citizen.

Olson believes it’s highly likely the council will choose to ask for applications, which has been standard protocol in the past.

For Tuesday’s story involving Garfield’s statement that he would remain on the council, click here.