Sedona Vice Mayor John Bradshaw is resigning, effective Wednesday, Oct. 28. He delivered his letter of resignation to the city on Sept. 22.

Bradshaw resigned as a point of procedure as he can not run for mayor in 2010 while serving on City Council.

Although Bradshaw has not yet decided whether he plans to run for mayor, he said, leaving office in late October gives him the room to look at options.

Bradshaw said that he will focus on his family and his businesses to see whether both could endure his mayoral run and potential election to office.

He will make his decision by mid-November, he said.

Bradshaw and his family own and operate A Day in the West, a Jeep tour company, Sedona Photo Express and Bradshaw Gallery.

Bradshaw was first elected to council in March 2004.

After serving a four-year term, Bradshaw had planned on leaving office, he said, but with only three candidates running for three open seats in the 2008 election, he threw his hat in the ring so voters would have some choice, albeit a small one.

The council was also deeply involved in the Hwy. 179 Improvement Project at that time and Bradshaw said that he felt a veteran council would be the best way to move forward.

Bradshaw was elected to a four-year term set to expire in 2012.

How his seat on council will be filled has become a point of contention based on conflicting language between state statues and Sedona City Code only recently cleared up at the Oct. 13 City Council meeting.

The issue is whether an appointee can serve the rest of Bradshaw’s term or just until the next election.

Bradshaw said even if he chooses not to run for mayor, he is proud of his last 5½ years on City Council.

“I feel we accomplished the Uptown Enhancement Project without a lot of businesses going out of business,” he said. “The same with the Highway 179 project.”

Bradshaw cited his work on his first council in 2004 in acquiring the property that the city’s Wastewater Reclamation Plant occupies, located five miles west of Sedona on State Route 89A.

He said he was proud that he helped the city find more purposes for the land and reclaimed water.

Bradshaw said that the councils on which he served were instrumental in developing the Sedona Film Office with the Chamber of Commerce and saving the Sedona Cultural Park for future city use.

He also said he was proud of helping to restructure the city’s contract bidding process so that more city construction contracts could stay local, he said. Keeping city money local is good for both area businesses and the community.

Acquiring grants to get technology improvements into Sedona area schools was also an accomplishment, he said.

Bradshaw said that serving on council was a rewarding, life-changing experience. Helping shape the council and the community is something he said he hoped more residents would want to try.

Bradshaw encouraged anyone who wants to help their community to run for council in the next election.

Bradshaw will serve on City Council for the next three meetings, then take a break until July, he said.

Christopher Fox Graham can be reached at 282-7795, ext. 129, or cgraham@larsonnewspapers.com