Southlake City Council member resigns just before taking oath of office

The city of Southlake is planning a special election to replace City Councilman Gary Fawks, who resigned this week just before taking the oath of office, according to city news releases.

Fawks, the Place 6 council member since 2014, was unopposed in his re-election bid during the May election. He was to take his oath of office Tuesday evening, but earlier in the day, the city announced that he had notified the mayor and council of his resignation because he received a promotion at his full-time job.

In his letter, Fawks called his time on council a “pleasure to serve with such a great group of dedicated public servants and a first-class city staff over the past three years,” according to the city.

“Leaving the council at this time was one of a number of things that made the decision to accept this position one of the most difficult I have ever made,” Fawks said.

Fawks had previously served on City Council from 1996-2001.

City Council will call a special election, expected to take place by late summer, to fill Place 6, according to the city. Information about the candidate filing period, voter registration and early voting will be available at cityofsouthlake.com when it becomes available.

This story was originally published May 24, 2017 at 2:40 PM with the headline "Southlake City Council member resigns just before taking oath of office."