Politics & Government

Gary Thompson Resigns as City Councilman

One of the original Rancho Santa Margarita city council members, Thompson cited family issues for stepping down.

Gary Thompson, whose tell-it-like-it-is style was a fixture on the city council since Rancho Santa Margarita was incorporated and who twice served as mayor, has resigned.

Thompson, 60, submitted his resignation late Thursday morning citing family issues. He has been caring for his parents, who live in Newport Beach, and their health has become an increasing responsibility.

"It is with a heavy heart and deep regret that I write to you today to inform you of circumstances that have arisen outside of city government that now affect my ability to fulfill my role on the city council," Thompson wrote in his letter. "I have always held true that if you cannot give 110% to the job of being a city councilman, then you shouldn't be in the job because that would be doing a disservice to the constituency you serve. I'm afraid that this time has come for me."

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Thompson declined to talk, instead preferring to allow the letter to stand on its own. He also indicated that business obligations, as well as the declining health of family members, contributed to the decision.

Mayor Tony Beall said he was saddened by the news.

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"The residents of Rancho Santa Margarita owe a tremenedous debt of gratitude to Gary Thompson for his service to the community," Beall said. "He personally was instrumental in making our city the great city and community that it is today."

Thompson was the city's mayor in 2003 and 2009, and currently sat as the mayor pro tempore, meaning he would likely have been mayor in 2012.

His resignation comes the day before the deadline for local residents to apply to fill a temporary vacancy on city council created by Jesse Petrilla's service for the next 3-1/2 months in tank school with the U.S. Army National Guard. the council was to choose Petrilla's replacement at the next council meeting, on Wednesday.

Thompson brought an extraordinary amount of institutional knowledge to the council.

"Gary is one of the founding fathers of the city, and he was instrumental in creating a city that has now been recoganized across the entire country for providing an unmatched quality of life and a premier place to raise a family," Beall said. "Not only did he help create, but has helped govern the city from the very first day, and our city has consistently been recognaized as one of the safest cities in the state and one of the most well-run cities in the country despite the current economic crisis that our state and nation is suffering from.

"The city of Rancho Santa Margarita is in sound financial shape, and Gary Thomspon deserves a lot of credit for ensuring that the city of RSM was governed with a steady hand and conservative fiscal policies."

Those accolades that have been bestowed upon the city, Thompson wrote in his letter, were "accomplished as a 'team' over the last 11 years. ... The reason our city has achieved this level of excellence has been due to our unwavering philosophy of making all of our decisions based on what is in the best interests of the residents and businesses, and not for furthering our own individual or personal political agendas."

Thompson was reelected for the third time in November. He finished third, behind Petrilla and Steve Baric, in a bitterly fought election that, for the first time in city history, took on a negative tone. He finished 20 votes ahead of another incumbent, Neil Blais, who also had been a city councilman since the city's incorporation Jan. 1, 2000.

Thompson was the last original member of the city council.

A special city council meeting has been called for Friday, 3 p.m.

"I'm sorry to see him go," said councilman Jerry Holloway, who was mayor in 2011. "I hope his family the best. Gary’s a very intelligent individual, and academically intelligent, and has a lot of common sense as well. That combination brought a lot to every discussion. He also has a lot of passion, which adds another positive element to every decision. The residents and businesses of this city got the best of what Gary had to offer, and we’re all better off for his efforts.

"Gary would have made an excellent county supervisor and maybe someday he will. I’ve got to applaud him right now because this had to be very difficult decision for him, and his family took precedent over everything which shows you the kind of person he is."


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