Mayor resigns in Santaquin

SANTAQUIN — City Councilman Martin Green — suddenly, if temporarily, Santaquin's acting mayor — says he is shocked but not surprised by the just-announced resignation of Mayor LaDue Scovill.

As mayor pro tem, Green will be acting mayor until July 6, when the City Council will pick a new mayor to lead city government until Dec. 31, when Scovill's term ends.

Voters will have the final say on a new mayor in the November election.

Green said Scovill was tired and had endured conflicts with the council on several issues. He would not elaborate.

"(Scovill) resigned for personal reasons," Green said. "I didn't see it coming."

Scovill wouldn't say why he quit. His tersely worded letter to City Manager Stephan Chatwin simply said he relinquished his duties to Green.

"I have no idea what the speculation is, but I have no comment," Scovill said.

So why did he quit?

"That's the question everyone is asking these days," Chatwin said.

The surprise resignation has folks in the tiny south Utah County town of 6,500 wondering, he said. But he dismissed the notion it was because of conflicting opinions among officials.

"In government, you always have differing opinions. It's just the way it is," Chatwin said. "It wasn't anything serious."

Scovill wasn't forced or coerced in any way, Chatwin added.

Scovill had earlier told Chatwin he wasn't planning on running for re-election in November. He told his city manager the night before he resigned that he was stepping down.

"We all know he has been doing it for some time. It's a stressful job," Chatwin said.

Councilman Todd Starley was also surprised at the resignation. Conflicts between mayors and city council representatives are common, he said.

"There's always a time when we don't agree," Starley said.

"It sounds like he needs some time to get away from things," he said. "When I talk to him, I'll tell him he's put in some great service for the city."