There are times in life when difficult decisions have to be made. But when looking at the bigger picture, the decision is often an easy one.
On Tuesday, Feb. 9, Bill Chisholm surprised many by making one of those decisions when he announced that he was resigning from the Sedona City Council effective that night.
He told his fellow members of council that this past summer his wife, Kim, relocated to Colorado to help her sister, who was battling cancer, as well as lending a helping hand to extended members of the family. His sister-in-law lost that battle the week of Christmas.
“Kim and I — over the past seven months — have tried to juggle the commitments we’ve made to each other and our families and to the community,” he said. “It’s become apparent over the last seven months, particularly this past month, that I need to be there full time to help with the extended family.”
He went on to say, “It’s been an honor and a privilege to serve, not only with city management and staff but this council right here and the previous council with John Currivan and John Martinez and my interactions with all the citizens, businesses and nonprofits. I feel positive with the direction the community is going. This is hard for me but it’s something I have to do.”
Chisholm is the fifth member of council to step down for personal reasons prior to their term’s expiration in the past five years. The others include Angela LeFevre and Vice Mayor Mark DiNunzio in 2016, Joe Vernier in 2018 and Janice Hudson in 2020.
“I could see how the pressure was weighing on her [Kim],” Chisholm said the day after the meeting. “She’s not the type to ever give me an ultimatum, but I knew what the right decision was. When I got back this past weekend I called the mayor [Sandy Moriarty] and told her that I could see how much pressure was on Kim and that I had to draw the line. She’s my wife and the most important person to me, so it wasn’t a difficult decision in that way but it is tough walking away from the city.”
Aside from council, Chisholm said he’ll miss his time as a member of theMarine Corps League’s Sedona Detachment and Sedona Elks Lodge as well as the many friends he’s made during his time in Sedona.
Moriarty said she is sorry to lose Chisholm as both a member of council and as a community leader.
“He and his wife, Kim, have been wonderful assets to the community as active participants with several nonprofits,” she said. “Bill has been an excellent member on council. He was dedicated to the city and always willing to take on any task he was assigned, and was very diligent, thoughtful and empathetic in carrying out his normal council duties. I wish them both all the best in their move, and hope they will come back to visit often.”
An item will be on the Feb. 23 agenda in which council will discuss how to approach filling the vacancy. In the past the city has accepted applications, followed by interviews and finally approval by council. The appointee will finish out Chisholm’s term, which ends in 2022.
“It’s been a pleasure working with Councilor Chisholm the last two years,” City Manager Justin Clifton said. “It’s rare to work with someone who is so driven by values that come from the heart but who also brings such capacity for analytical thought.
“He was always highly engaged and did significant research, citizen outreach and deep consideration of the issues in between meetings. Beyond serving the city as a councilor, he was also very active serving the community through numerous volunteer efforts. I’ve appreciated his leadership and support.”
