From our sister site The Waterland Blog:
On Friday night, Jan. 21, 2022, Des Moines City Councilmember Anthony Martinelli announced that he has decided to resign from his position.
As The Waterland Blog previously reported, Martinelli has been under fire recently for allegations of domestic violence against former partners, including current Burien City Councilmember Cydney Moore. Following additional allegations of domestic violence and abuse by two of Martinelli’s former partners reported Monday in The Seattle Times, the embattled councilmember announced that day that he would not resign after being given a three-year pretrial diversion agreement in Des Moines Municipal Court.
There were numerous demands for his resignation, including from former Mayor Matt Pina, current Mayor Matt Mahoney as well as the 33rd District Democrats.
“Though I have maintained my innocence, and continue to do so, clearly my personal life has become a distraction to the city, and remaining on the council would be selfish,” Martinelli said in a Facebook post, which was published shortly after 9 p.m. “That being said, I will work fervently to overcome these obstacles. This certainly will not be the last you hear from me in the world of Des Moines and state politics.”
Martinelli has been serving on the council since Jan. 1, 2020, and his term was set to expire Dec. 31, 2023.
The council will appoint a replacement soon.
Here’s Martinelli’s full statement:
“After considerable thought I have decided to resign from my position as a member of the Des Moines City Council. Though I have maintained my innocence, and continue to do so, clearly my personal life has become a distraction to the city, and remaining on the council would be selfish.
“That being said, I will work fervently to overcome these obstacles. This certainly will not be the last you hear from me in the world of Des Moines and state politics.
“To everyone who has supported me throughout the past several years, I thank you from the bottom of my heart. Although I wish things could be different, it’s important to note that together we were able to achieve a lot in just two years. Some of the items I proposed and was able to get passed through the council with your support includes:
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- A comprehensive police body camera program
- A program for mental health experts to co-respond with police to certain calls
- Over $1 million in small business grants
- Hundreds of thousands of dollars for rental and utility assistance
- A change in how council meetings are ran so that councilmembers have a dedicated space to submit new proposals
- A proclamation explicitly declaring racism as a public health crisis
“I hope the voters understand that just because this situation happened with me does not mean you should continue to vote for the status quo, or refuse to support other young and progressive candidates. The city needs progressive voices, and it needs a significant change in leadership.
“To the council, I know you will make your own choice after careful consideration, but my suggestion is to choose a replacement that can help alter the fact that currently there is just one woman on the entire council, and there are zero minority members. Choose a replacement that represents a forward-thinking approach to the city’s problems. A replacement that’s willing to truly listens to their constituents, and truly takes their views and thoughts into consideration.
“That’s all I have for now.
Thank you.”