Councilman Harry B. Silver Announces Resignation
Alexandria, La. (February 10, 2021) — Alexandria City Council District 4 Councilman Harry B. Silver announced his resignation from the City Council, effective at 11:59 p.m. February 28. Silver made the announcement Tuesday night at the start of the regularly scheduled City Council meeting. His final scheduled meeting as a councilman will be February 23.
City Council President Jim Villard read Silver’s letter of resignation as Silver listened by telephone. Due to concerns related to the COVID-19 pandemic, Silver has been participating in council meetings via telephone since July of 2020.
“Harry Silver has been an outstanding leader in our community throughout his time here,” said Alexandria Mayor Jeff Hall. “He has been an outstanding example of someone with a lifelong commitment to public service and I have been honored to be able to work with him as part of the city’s leadership team. He has faithfully represented the residents of District 4 for more than 15 years, and Alexandria and Central Louisiana as a whole are a better community thanks to his dedication and commitment to improving our quality of life. I wish him all the best and, as Mayor, I thank him on behalf of all of the citizens of Alexandria for his many years of service.”
Silver joined the Alexandria City Council in 2005 at the age of 83 when he was appointed to fill the unexpired term of former Councilman Rick Ranson. He was elected to a full term in 2006 and was re-elected in 2010, 2014 and 2018. He was unopposed in the 2018 race.
At the age of 99, Silver is believed to be the oldest active elected official in the U.S. He is also believed to be the oldest elected official to serve in the State of Louisiana. A.R. “Red” Sims, who served for eight terms on the Ouachita Parish School Board from 1986-2018, was 98 when he chose not to seek re-election.
Once Silver’s resignation takes effect, the City Council can appoint a representative to fill the vacancy until a special election can be held. No date has been set for that election, which would be to fill the position until the current term expires at the end of 2022. In his letter of resignation, Silver endorsed local attorney Maria Losavio to represent District 4. City Attorney Shane Williams said the appointment of an interim representative is up to the City Council by majority vote, while a date for a special election will be determined by the Secretary of State’s office.
Here is the full text of Silver’s letter of resignation:
Mayor Hall, President Villard, Fellow Council Members, my Fellow Citizens of Alexandria:
Having just celebrated my 99th birthday, I had time to reflect on my life, our City, and the place I should hold in it. While there is hope that the pandemic will soon recede and a more normal life can resume, such will not occur overnight. With the recent elections having been conducted and concluded, the will of the electorate has been heard and I feel now is a good time to hand the mantle of leadership for District 4 over to another from a younger generation.
I came to Central Louisiana over Three Fourths of a Century ago in service to our nation and met the love of my life. Together we raised a family, continued and modernized the family business, and did all we could to be of service to the people of the area. Whether you or your parents, grandparents, or great grandparents agreed with me or not over the years, I hope everyone agrees that I acted only as I felt was best for our mutual home. In the waning years of my life I will now pivot from service to our community and focus more on service to my family.
It is my intention to resign the office of council member effective 11:59 PM February 28, 2021. I commend to you Maria Losavio as a recommendation of a person I feel would take up my mantle of service and continue doing what she feels is best for the City, the only measure that really matters.
Contact:
Jim Smilie
Communications
318.449.5038
318.730.1683
jim.smilie@cityofalex.com
