After nearly two years on the Cottonwood City Council, mostly in the post of vice mayor, Kyla Allen has announced her intention to step down from the position effective Thursday, Feb. 28.
“It has been an incredible 21⁄2 years, with a great deal of learning and service,” Allen wrote in a statement. “Ahead are some exciting times for the city with our great new city manager, Ron Corbin, the possibility of a new city hall and much more.”
Allen said that her decision to step down was due to the requirement that council members reside within the city limits. Though Allen lived within Cottonwood during her time on the council, she and her husband are moving to a house that is able to accommodate some of his health needs and were unable to find an afford- able option within city limits.
“The fact that it took me a year-and-a-half to realize we could not find what we wanted within our corporate city limits is also a stark reminder of the need for affordable workforce housing, which is also one of council’s goals,” Allen wrote.
Allen was appointed to her position by the Cottonwood City Council in June 2016 to fill the seat vacated by Tim Elinski, who ran for mayor. Before being appointed to council, Allen spent 23 years working for the city of Cottonwood. She was administrative assistant for former police chief and later City Manager Doug Bartosh before retiring in 2015. She was appointed to the position of vice mayor by the council in January 2018.
“The decision to step down did not come lightly as I had, in my mind, my path set for the next six years,” Allen wrote in her statement. “This included a run for the mayor’s seat in 2020-21. But life happens and paths change.”
In 2018, Allen successfully ran for reelection, turning her appointed position on the council into an elected one.
“I would be remiss in not thanking those who worked so hard to get me elected. It is with gratitude I express my appreciation to Terry Clements and her army of supporters, to my running mate Doug Hulse and his amazing wife Carol. My thanks to the employees of the city for the amazing and often thankless work they do for our citizens. And to the multitude of contributors, groups and individual supporters who voted for me.”
Jon Hecht can be reached at 634-8551, or email jhecht@larsonnewspapers.com
