Craig Florian Stepping Down From City Council

Longstanding Glenwood city councilman Craig Florian is stepping down from his seat as the Ward 2 representative at the end of the month.

Reading from a prepared statement at the Dec. 4 council meeting, Florian stated, “After 15 years, six mayors, numerous council members, thousands of motions and over 300 city council meetings, I have decided it’s time to call it a day.”

Florian’s resignation will be effective Dec. 31.

In his resignation letter, Florian mentioned the accomplishments that have taken place within the city during his time on the council, including the opening of the Mills County YMCA, negotiations between the city and Glenwood Community School District which led to the building of a new high school, completing “a difficult transition” to a new city hall building and the construction of the Glenwood Aquatic Center.

“I wanted to make sure our youth had somewhere to hang out in the summer, so I am particularly proud of the Glenwood Aquatic Center – to keep our youth active and occupied,” he said. “That was always a high priority for me, too. We got our pool built and it is a shining gem in our community and we didn’t raise taxes to do it.” Florian expressed gratitude to former elected officials and city personnel who provided guidance during his early years on the council.

“My goals when I came here were to help transition the previous administration into a new generation of city leadership, one that listened to the people and was accessible,” Florian said. “I was able to learn valuable basics of city government from people like Ron Bales, Allan Christiansen, Mary Jean Smith and my favorite, Clare Bangs. I didn’t always agree with their positions, but I always respected them.”

In his letter, Florian expressed concerns about the direction the city is headed, particularly when it comes to property taxes.

“In my 15 years on the council, we have only raised taxes once and I hope that trend continues with the new council, but recent committee meetings have given me the distinct impression that raising taxes is on the table,” Florian said. “I hate to see this, particularly since the Mills County Supervisors raise our taxes every year. And now that we have a former county supervisor as our mayor, I’ve already heard him say he has no problems raising taxes. I can see the writing on the wall and I just don’t have the fight in me anymore.”

Ron Kohn, running as a write-in candidate against Florian. was elected mayor after serving on the Mills County Board of Supervisors. Kohn declined to comment on statements made in Florian’s resignation letter.

Florian said he considered leaving the city council after losing the mayoral election.

“When I decided to run for mayor, I was hit with a harsh reality,” he said. “I did not win and felt the voters had basically shown me no vote of confidence when they elected a person to be mayor whom I had never seen at a city council meeting. It was then I realized that this non-partisan office had become quite partisan. I considered quitting at the time, but decided to stick with it for as long as I could. I wanted to help the new council with my experience, but I have recently realized my  heart just isn’t in it anymore. It is time to step aside and let someone else sit in this chair.”

Florian said he will “ride off into the sunset” after his last council meeting on Dec. 18 and wishes the city of Glenwood “the very best.”

“I only have one piece of advice for the council members. No matter what your buddies or a family member tells you to do, remember you are here representing all the people who call Glenwood home. Every decision should have the best interests of Glenwood in mind. Whatever you do, don’t do it for yourself, do it for the good of Glenwood.”

Council member Jeremy Rodman expressed his appreciation to Florian after the resignation letter was read.

“I would like to thank Craig for his service,” Rodman said.

The city council will appoint a replacement to fill the final year of Florian’s term on the city council (within 60 days of the vacancy), unless there’s a petition calling for a special election that has at least 32 valid signatures, 15 percent of the number of votes that were cast for the seat in the 2015 election.

Mills County Auditor Carol Robertson said the earliest a special election could take place would be in March.