Monday night’s De Soto City Council meeting was Rich McCane’s last as mayor.
McCane said his resignation was to take effect at noon on Wednesday, before the Leader deadline.
His resignation was no surprise to his fellow council members and employees since he announced in April that he planned to move to his in-law’s family farm in Ware, requiring him to step down.
McCane said he is moving to Ware next week.
“Unless Ware is looking for a mayor, I will be retiring,” McCane said Monday.
McCane said Councilman Matt Franken, the council’s chairperson pro-tem, will serve as mayor until April when new council members are elected and the council reorganizes. Franken was elected in August 2024.
De Soto operates under a council-manager form of government that has all five members elected at-large and then the council appoint a new mayor after each April election.
“(Franken) will automatically move into the mayor position since he is currently the chairman pro-tem,” City Manager Todd Melkus said Tuesday morning. “He will begin the (November) meeting as mayor.
Since McCane’s resignation also leaves a vacant seat on the council, the rest of the members may appoint a replacement to serve until April, Melkus said.
“(A council member) can make a motion to appoint someone, but they will have to have a majority vote, which means that it will take three council persons to vote on someone,” he said.
If there is no majority vote approval, the seat will remain vacant until April after the next election, he said.
McCane commended his fellow City Council members and expressed gratitude to residents in his farewell speech.
“I would like to thank the residents of the city of De Soto,” he said. “They’ve supported me through thick and thin.”
McCane said during his first stint as mayor in 2018, the city faced hard times, and he often felt like the bearer of bad news. He said the city is in a better place now.
“I feel like we hired some people who could move the community forward,” he said.
McCane encouraged his fellow council members to do what is right and stand up for their principles, as well as for the working people.
“Stand up for the truth and do the common good,” he said.
As McCane asked for a motion to end the open session, Melkus interrupted him and presented McCane with an award for his service to the community.
City Council member Todd Mahn was absent from the meeting.