Greenfield’s city clerk and mayor resign

The city of Greenfield will now be on the market for a new city clerk and mayor after Laura Benton and Jimmie Schultz each resigned last week from those positions, respectively.

Schultz wrote in his resignation letter that he is resigning for personal reasons that need his undivided attention.

Benton did not respond to a voicemail from the newspaper giving her a chance to comment.

Schultz was elected in 2019 and took office at the start of the following year. He said he was proud of the progress the city made during his tenure.

“We made progress. Yes it was slow, but the council had a lot to do and we were making progress,” he said. He added that one of his goals was to get everyone “on the same page” and felt opening channels of communication a little more was something that helped that happen.

Schultz, 70, had two and a half years left on his mayoral term.

The council has two options: appointing a new mayor or they can call for a special election. They have to publish notice of its intention to appoint at least four but no more than 20 days before the appointment occurs. If the public wants, after the publication is made, they can petition for a special election. The city has 60 days to appoint to fill the vacancy.

Hired in 2022 as city clerk, Benton helped the city to update ordinances where necessary, helped them set in motion a comprehensive plan/zoning map update and helped them after the tornado.

Councilman Brian Fox is Mayor Pro-Tem.