Monday night’s Sedalia City Council meeting took place with seven members, as Ward 4 Councilwoman Vicky Collins has resigned, effective Saturday.
Mayor Stephen Galliher announced Collins’ resignation at the end of the pre-council meeting, stating he received an email from her Saturday that she was resigning effective immediately “for personal reasons.” For those constituents included in Collins’ Sedalia Voices group on Facebook, they were already aware of her departure as she posted the news in the group Monday night.
“This weekend started a brand new chapter in my life. I guess not really even a chapter, he just closed the book and started a new one,” she wrote Monday. “God has amazing plans for this old woman. In just 3 months time, I have lost a job of 16 years, a relationship of almost 19 years, closing on my rental house and have put an offer in on a waterfront condo. I have no idea what Gods plan is but he must be in a hurry for me to get there.
“I was listening to a sermon (Monday) and they were talking about life changes. Sometimes God cuts people, jobs or whatever is holding you back from his plan, but fills the gaps and replenishes with what you need to fulfill his plan for us. Well he has pruned me pretty well! So, Jesus has the wheel on this bus! I am just along for the ride.”
She continued by saying she is unsure where that journey will take her.
Collins defeated incumbent Larry Stevenson in the April 2015 municipal election to win her first term on council. She became known in the Sedalia community after being a strong voice at town hall meetings in summer 2014 about the need for stricter rental property laws and soon began to debate Stevenson weekly on the pages of the Democrat through Letters to the Editor.
After encouragement from a large number of citizens, Collins ran for office and received almost 69 percent of the vote against Stevenson.
“I am honored to have been the 4th Ward councilman,” Collins wrote at the end of her post. “I will leave the (Sedalia Voices) page open so I can see the progress Sedalia makes. Make sure you all refer your questions and concerns to the source or your councilman. God speed everyone. Make Sedalia a wonderful city to live in.”
Galliher is now tasked with finding a replacement to appoint to council to take over until April, when Collins would have been up for re-election. He told the Democrat after the pre-council meeting he has been contacted by several citizens with suggestions and he has a few ideas of his own. Once he makes a decision, he will bring it to council for approval.
“I thought she did a good job — she was always city first and the constituents, asked a lot of good questions. If she didn’t understand she stayed here until she understood the issue,” Galliher told the Democrat. “I thought she served her folks well in the Fourth Ward and the city. I think she did a good job, now I’ve got a hard thing to do to find a new council person. I’ve got a few emails and requests and some names of my own. … It’s not a decision to take lightly. I wish her the best of luck, I hate to lose her. We have a very good city council right now. … Hopefully we can find someone to do a good job like she did.”
The Democrat was unable to reach Collins for comment by phone by press time.
