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Silt trustee resigns, cites increasing cost of living

Ryan Hoffman
rhoffman@citizentelegram.com
Jeff LaValla
Staff Photo |

SILT — Silt trustees accepted the resignation of fellow trustee, Jeff LaValla, Monday night.

In an email sent to the Town Administrator Pamela Woods Monday, LaValla cited the ever increasing cost of living in Silt as his reason for leaving the board. Woods later explained that LaValla had been renting a house, but the home sold and he did not think he could immediately find a place to live within town limits — a requirement for serving on the board.

LaValla, who was elected to the board in April 2012, did not respond to an email Tuesday seeking comment. He did not attend Monday’s meeting.



Mayor Rick Aluise suggested inviting LaValla to the next board meeting and drafting a resolution thanking him for his service — a proposal that was meant with agreement from fellow board members.

“He’s been a good board member and he’s helped us out with some of the things we’ve tried to accomplish,” Aluise said Tuesday.



Per the town’s charter, the board will appoint somebody to serve the remainder of LaValla’s term, which expires in April 2016. Two other seats will be up for election in April as well.

Woods recommended Monday that the town start advertising the position in the coming weeks to allow interested residents the opportunity to apply for the position, and give the board enough time to make an appointment within the 60-day period following a resignation, as outlined in the town’s charter.

While Aluise referred specific questions to LaValla, he said cost of living, particularly surrounding housing, has been a long standing issue.

“It’s really nothing new. Sometimes it’s just a function of the market,” Aluise said in reference to the rise and fall of home values in recent years.

LaValla finished third in a four-way race for three trustee seats in 2012. At the time, he told the Post Independent he had lived in Silt for six years and worked as an upholsterer and stay-at-home dad.


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