Nancy LaRoche to resign Crystal City Council seat

LaRoche was first elected to the Crystal City Council in 2016 and reelected in 2020. Her second term on the council was set to expire Dec. 31, 2024.

The city council, which next meets Tuesday, Feb. 7, will declare the vacancy and begin the planning process to appoint someone to fill the seat.

City of Crystal City Charter requirements do not specify a timeline for filling a vacated council seat. According to the city, the process may include council discussion, public notification of the vacancy, recruitment, review of eligible candidates and appointment of an interim member for the remaining two years of the term.

LaRoche and her husband, Walt, have been residents of the city since 1997. Her first involvement with city government came when she worked as an election judge in 2006.

In 2011, LaRoche was appointed as a member of the Crystal Parks and Recreation Advisory Commission and the following year became a long-serving volunteer with the Crystal Frolics Committee. LaRoche has also served on the West Metro Fire/Rescue District Board, was appointed to the Crystal Charter Commission, was president of the Economic Development Authority, acted as council liaison to the Parks and Recreation Commission and Environmental Quality Commission and assisted staff in the design for the new city logo.

According to a post on her website, LaRoche has spent her time on the council working with residents and city staff to improve public safety, update parks and business districts, keep Crystal affordable and build a more inclusive community.

“It has been my honor and pleasure to serve Crystal Section I (Wards 1 and 2 in southern Crystal) for the past six years,” LaRoche wrote in her resignation letter. “Crystal has been my and my husband’s home for 27 years. While I will miss working with city staff and neighbors, I look forward to coming back and visiting often. I will always be grateful for the opportunity to serve.”

For updates on Crystal’s council member appointment process, visit crystalmn.gov or check the city’s social media accounts.

Follow the Sun Post on Facebook at facebook.com/mnsunpost.