Update, 10:20 a.m. Friday: The next Ward 12 council member will be determined by vote of the City Council in a special called session that will be held within 14 days after the council’s May 4 meeting.
Anyone who wishes to be considered must appear before the council on May 4 to make formal introductions.
Previously:
CLARKSVILLE, TN (CLARKSVILLE NOW) – Trisha Butler, City Council member for Ward 12, announced on Thursday that she will resign her seat effective April 7.
She made the announcement at the end of the council’s regular session, noting that she would like to spend more time with her family. She stated the following:
“Because of not only my loyalty and aversion to failure but also some stubborn pride, I have stayed in this seat as long as I possibly could. I wish to clarify that although I highlight family responsibilities in my letter of resignation, I never want other women to be saddled with the stigma that they cannot be both a mother and have a political career.
“I simply feel that, within the current system of our local government, any progress that I can personally initiate is so limited that it does not justify the immense sacrifice demanded of my family. This has been to the detriment of the citizens of Ward 12, my health and my family. Everyone in the transaction deserves better. Because of this, I delivered a formal resignation to City Hall on Monday, and its effective date is April 7, 2023.”
Butler’s Ward 12 covers the northeast corner of Clarksville, roughly east of Trenton Road and north of Exit 4. She won her race for Ward 12 in November 2020 by a close margin, securing the win in a crowded field of five other candidates.
“I decided to run for office simply to serve again and do something for the community,” Butler said in 2020. “I’m also a huge believer in liberty, the Constitution and civic responsibility. Mostly, I just volunteered to be a voice for the people, to get government power back in the hands of the citizens.”
Butler served twice in the US Army and was honorably discharged as a sergeant. She earned a culinary diploma from Bidwell Training in Pittsburgh, attended American Military University, and when she was elected, she was a student at Austin Peay State University, majoring in history. She has lived in Clarksville for about 12 years.
“I just want to say thank you to Clarksville, and especially to the voters in Ward 12, for their confidence and for giving me the opportunity to serve,” Butler said Thursday. “And I will never be able to put into words how unbelievably apologetic I am for not fulfilling my entire commitment.”
Butler received well wishes from several council members on Thursday, including from Wanda Allen, Brian Zacharias, Wallace Redd and Wanda Smith.
Chris Smith contributed to this report.