Councilman Rischi Paul Sharma resigned Thursday, April 6, from the Laguna Niguel City Council, submitting a letter to the City Clerk “after much thought and consideration,” he wrote.
“It has been a distinct honor and pleasure to have served the people of Laguna Niguel and to have worked alongside our city staff,” he said. “I wish you and the team all the best and am confident the leadership that is in place will continue to move the city of Laguna Niguel forward.”
Sharma could not be reached for comment.
Sharma, a businessman, was elected to the City Council in 2020. He said at the time he was he was running on a platform of priorities that included keeping the city debt-free, maintaining a balanced budget, creating long-term, sustainable revenue-generating opportunities for the city, protecting open space and keeping neighborhoods safe.
Sharma was serving the year as the council’s mayor pro tem, having briefly taken over as mayor after Councilwoman Sandy Rains resigned from the post in late February – she remains on the council. The mayor and mayor pro tem roles are chosen each year among the council members. On March 7, Kelly Jennings was chosen as mayor by her colleagues and Sharma again as mayor pro tem.
Jennings, who was also elected to the dais in 2020, said Thursday she was surprised by Sharma’s decision, noting Tuesday’s council meeting had gone normally with no indication Sharma intended to step down.
At its April 18 meeting, the council will decide what process to follow to fill the vacancy, Jennings said. Either applications will be taken or the council could call a special election.
The latter, Jennings said, wouldn’t be her vote because a special election would be a “crazy expense.”
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