One member of Essex Council is 'grateful' Larry Snively has resigned as mayor of the town.
Sherry Bondy believes this is one less issue council has to take care of.
Larry Snively has resigned as mayor of Essex Wednesday morning effective Jan. 12.
On Jan. 7, Snively was fined $10,000 after pleading guilty to a charge under the Municipal Elections Act.
The charge was laid after the OPP began investigating in October 2018 after allegations over the misuse of proxy ballots, with several complaints received over proxy ballots being signed without proper consent.
Bondy was part of a group that sought an investigation into the misuse of proxy votes during the 2018 election and had called for Snively's resignation following his guilty plea, accusing him of using bullying tactics.
Bondy says the public has been very adamant that Snively walk away from the mayor's chair.
"The conviction, the plea was directly related to the seat he sits in, so it wasn't unrelated," she says. "That's why the public were saying 'hey, you plead guilty, how can you sit there?'"
Bondy hopes this will let Council move forward.
"He's known he was guilty this whole time, he should have walked away a long time ago. So finally it can happen and the Municipality of Essex can really move forward," she says.
Bondy says she's absolutely relieved following the resignation, calling it a weight off her shoulders.
"There's still some things that are going on, obviously Mr. Snively did not operate as a silo, he had others working with him, for him and aware. Justice been partially served but I would say there are still more pieces to the puzzle," she adds.
In accordance with requirements under the Municipal Act, Council is expected to formally declare the Mayor's seat as being vacant at its Jan. 17 regular meeting with a decision as to how to fill the vacancy, says a statement from the town.
The options to fill the vacant seat include by appointment or the calling of a by-election, which would be made at a subsequent special council meeting to be scheduled, according to the Town.
With files from Rob Hindi