Bloomington Council Member Forced To Resign

Bitter-sweet news for the BloNo Left. Ward 6 Bloomington Council Member, Jenn Carrillo pulls a Sarah Palin by resigning from their elected position only half-way through. In a Pantagraph exclusive, Carrillo announced their plans to step down from their seat at the end of August. Unlike Sarah Palin though, all evidence points to Carrillo being forced to resign against her will as her home was sold out from under her.

“My announcement today is bittersweet,” Carrillo said in a statement. “I am both elated to have found a beautiful new home for me and my family that keeps me in the community I love, and deeply saddened to announce that I will not be able to continue representing Ward 6 on the Bloomington City Council.”

“While it makes sense that we want elected officials who actually reside in the places they represent, the rules around residency and holding office presume a level of housing stability that only homeowners of a high socioeconomic status are afforded,” Carrillo said. “Tenants have always been a small minority on the city council, and with my departure they will be completely devoid of representation.”

Carrillo released a longer statement on a blog post about their recent journey. Some highlights worth reflection:

“Therefore, my announcement today is bittersweet. I am both elated to have found a beautiful new home for me and my family that keeps me in the community I love, and deeply saddened to announce that I will not be able to continue representing Ward 6 on the Bloomington City Council.”

“Low-income people (who are almost certainly also tenants) have always faced tremendous barriers in seeking elected office. This has only worsened as campaigning becomes more expensive each cycle, with entities like police unions dumping unprecedented sums of money into races to affect the outcome. Even if a tenant candidate does manage to win their race, the salary offered for their service (less than 4K per year) forces them to juggle the responsibilities of their role alongside one or two additional jobs and family care. And then, even if we manage that miraculous feat, we can be displaced from our homes and easily lose the seat we fought so hard for.

“Colleagues and community members: if we truly value diverse representation from people of all walks of life, identities, and backgrounds, like we say we do, these barriers must be removed. Representing your community should not be a privilege reserved only for those who can afford it.”

UPDATED 7/19/2021. Editor’s Note: I’ve chosen to update this article to better report the situation.

This article was originally published on Strangecornersofthought.com.