A Melksham town councillor, Carl Houghton, has resigned his seat citing personal circumstances as a reason for his resignation.
He is the second councillor representing Melksham East ward to resign this year – following Louisa Lewis’ resignation in April. There will either be a co-option of a new councillor or another by-election; the by-election for Louisa Lewis’ seat took place last week.
Carl Houghton, who was elected to represent the Melksham East ward in 2021 as an independent candidate, part of the Together for Melksham group, said, “My resignation as a town councillor is not a reflection on the council itself; four years is a long time to commit to a volunteer role and life takes different twists and turns within such a broad time scale.
“Within that time comes change, and I am excited and extremely proud of the direction my family is heading into, however, with that means my priorities need to change and I need to offer my time and dedication to the family that have stood by me in my time within the council.
“I thank residents for their belief in me during my time as a councillor. I have met and worked with some fantastic colleagues on the council and thank them all for their contribution in me growing as a councillor and person. I would love to have finished the full council term, and had every intention of doing so, but with a change of circumstance and a new journey to take, I need to ensure I am going into said journey without stress and confidence that I can be there every step of the way.
“My dedication and commitment to the community of Melksham will not go away and I still plan to volunteer at events as and when my time allows it. However, my dedication for the most part must be to my family.”
A by-election for the vacant town council seat can be called if 10 residents request one in writing. If no request is received, then the town council may then co-opt someone into the vacant seat and can choose who they wish to appoint, rather than holding an election.
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