Burlington, IA – Burlington will have a little more than a month to fill a vacancy on the city council and in the mayor's office.
In an e-mail sent to city leaders, Mike Edwards says he is stepping down, immediately, from both posts because he feels he has become a major distraction to the positive accomplishments of the city.
Edwards served on the council for just under 10 years.
In Burlington, the city council selects one of its own to serve as mayor.
In 2004 and 2006, Edwards was chosen.
City Clerk Kathleen Salisbury says the council will have 40 days to either appoint a new member or schedule a special election.
Burlington's city primary is set for October with the general election in November.
Salisbury says residents would be able to petition for a special election that could be held in conjunction with those elections or on a separate date.
Edwards' letter says he has personal and private matters in his life that have been neglected for far too long that need to be addressed.
His resignation came a couple of days after a city council meeting that ended with a Burlington resident lashing out at Edwards and calling Edwards an alcoholic.
Edwards was arrested for drunken driving three times between 1979 and 1998 and convicted of second-offense drunken driving in 1985.
Mayor Pro-Tem Bill Ell will serve as interim mayor.
Salisbury says, at this point, the Burlington City Council has not scheduled any special meetings to discuss Edwards's resignation.