DeRoche withdraws

When Gray Town Councilor Matthew Sturgis resigned in June, it left a vacancy on the five-member Council. Chair Gary Foster advertised for a replacement, who would be appointed for the remainder of the year, when the seat would be placed on the ballot and a candidate elected for the balance of the term. The deadline for putting one's name in for consideration of appointment was Monday, August 8, by noon.

Gray resident Julie DeRoche put her name in and then later, on Monday the 8th, John Welch did too. On Tuesday, Ms. DeRoche withdrew her name for consideration, and had a conversation with Chair Foster about why. On Wednesday, August 10, Ms. DeRoche sent the following letter to Chair Foster formally withdrawing.

Dear Gary,

Your thoughtful comments during our conversation last week were helpful and sincere.

However, my decision to withdraw my application for the open seat on Town Council still stands. As we agreed, it would have been great if at least a few other citizens in town had applied. I'm truly disappointed that there was so little interest.

John Welch is more qualified than yours truly, due to his continuing involvement and past tenure on the Council. The overall tone of our relatively new Council bodes well for Gray. I sense a change of attitude that makes me feel hopeful.

Thanks again for the time you gave me. You helped me separate fact from fiction. Not always easy to do on the small town political scene.

Sincerely,
Julie DeRoche, Gray