Garland Commissioner Antonio Garcia is resigning from the board after being sworn in just two weeks ago.
Garcia, who was elected to the Garland town board in the November municipal election, has stepped down from his position after relocating outside the town’s municipal limits, making him ineligible to continue serving as a commissioner.
Garcia said the decision was difficult but ultimately necessary due to personal and health-related circumstances.
“I moved outside the city limits,” Garcia said. “You’ve got to live within the town limits to be a commissioner, and I can’t continue once I moved.”
He explained that an opportunity arose to move into a home better suited to his living conditions, particularly during the winter months. After living in his previous residence for more than 10 years, Garcia said the lack of central heating made colder weather increasingly difficult to manage.
“Where I was living, it didn’t have central heat. I was using heaters, and during the wintertime it stayed cold no matter how much heat you put in there,” he said. “I’ve got a lung problem, so when the opportunity came up for a house that was more equipped, I took it.”
Although Garcia’s new residence remains close to Garland and still carries a Garland mailing address, he said it is technically outside the town’s jurisdiction. He moved last weekend and informed the mayor and town officials on Monday, at which time he submitted a resignation letter addressed to both the town of Garland and the community.
“I wanted to thank the town of Garland and the community for supporting me, even though it was for a short time,” Garcia said.
Despite stepping down from office, Garcia said he plans to remain active in the community and attend town meetings as a resident.
“I can still come to meetings, bring up community issues, and be involved — I just can’t vote,” he said.
Garcia added that he was able to participate in early discussions and votes regarding the use of town funds for upcoming improvements before his resignation, noting that several projects are already underway and expected to move forward in the coming months.
The Garland town board held a special meeting on Friday night to appoint a new commissioner to fill Garcia’s vacancy. The commissioners voted unanimously to appoint Sean Melvin, who was the next-highest vote getter in the election.
See more details, including comments from the new town commissioner, in Tuesday’s edition.