Othello mayor resigns

OTHELLO — The woman at the helm of Othello's City Council will soon be leaving the post, and the town she has lived most of her life.

Othello Mayor Jeannie Sanders announced at a city council workshop Tuesday that she is resigning her post and moving to Spokane with her family.

"Actually we've been planning it a little bit," Sanders said Thursday, "waiting for (the) transition of our daughters."

In making the announcement, Sanders said she and her husband had purchased a home in Spokane to allow their daughters to attend school. Sanders said one of her daughters will be moving into middle school and the other to high school, and will be enrolled this fall in Spokane's Mead School District.

"They're going to be switching schools anyway," Sanders said, "So we thought this would be a good time."

Sanders' term as mayor is up at the end of the year, and she said the timing of the move was perfect for her family. Sanders has served as mayor for the last four years, also serving four years on the Othello City Council. She has served for the city of Othello for about 15 years, according to a handwritten statement, and served on a number of city boards before joining the city council.

With the exception of a few years, Sanders has lived her life in Othello.

"Except for college, I have lived in Othello for almost 40 years." Sanders said in a handwritten statement. "I love Othello and its citizens. My mayor's term is almost over and we strive to have a smooth transition for our girls."

In that statement, Sanders said it had been a "rich blessing" to serve on the city. Othello City Councilman and Mayor Pro-Tem Shannon McKay will be taking over Sanders' mayoral duties at a council meeting later this month, though which meeting has yet not been determined.