Following the announcement of her resignation, Saint Louis Park City Council Member Anne Mavity described her appreciation for the opportunities she gained while being a council member.

“Most people don’t have an opportunity to essentially just knock on the door or answer the call of almost a stranger and begin talking about things that people are very passionate about,” Mavity said. “I get that window into all these new ideas and concerns and questions and it’s just such a creative role. It’s such a heart filled opportunity I get to have.”

According to St. Louis Park’s Mayor Jake Spano, Mavity has to resign because she is moving out of the ward that she currently represents. Mavity’s resignation will be effective Oct. 30.

“She was the Ward 2 council member. Since she will no longer be living in her ward, she can’t represent the ward on the council,” Spano said.

Council Member Larry Kraft said that working with Mavity has been an enjoyable experience and he is saddened by her departure.

“She has so much knowledge, experience and work in the city that I’ve enjoyed working with her for the past eight months that I’ve been on council and learning from her. So, I’m very sad to see her go,” Kraft said.

Mavity said working on the council for over a decade was a unique experience that was both a challenge, and a community building experience.

“Being a council member for 11 years has been an enormous privilege for me. I am so grateful to the residents of Ward 2, even folks that I’ve disagreed with over time,” Mavity said. “I’ve learned from everybody, and I know that even when I’m on the opposite sides of an issue with people, we all are there because we love our community so much, and we want the best.” 

According to Spano, the process to fill in her seat on the council is in progress, and the decision will be made before Mavity’s resignation is effective Oct. 30.

“People can apply, fill out an application and then we’re going to do interviews, and then we will select somebody based on that,” Spano said. “We’re going to use rank choice voting to select the next council member.”

According to Kraft, electing the new council member himself without the election isn’t his ideal scenario, but has a positive mindset about the future to come. 

“I’m very uncomfortable with needing to appoint someone. I would much prefer this happen via voters, but because of the timing of it, this is what our responsibility is,” Kraft said. “I’m excited to see who applies. I would like to have someone that’s committed to serving people and working effectively with their council colleagues.”