Ventnor's mayor announced Thursday that she will be stepping down from her leadership role after nearly seven years.
It's not a decision she wanted to make, but one that circumstances forced her into, she clarified.
Beth Maccagnano Holtzman will be putting her home on the market as part of her divorce, which will make her no longer a resident of her hometown.
"I love that city," she said. "I was raised there. I wanted to make a difference and I think my team and I did."
The housing market mixed with Ventnor's popularity made it impossible to find a place in the city, Holtzman said.
She decided to make clear why she was stepping down out of respect for the residents, she said.
So, rather than give the vague "personal reasons," Holtzman wants people to know exactly what went into the announcement.
"I did not want the people who voted me into office to think that I was not fulfilling my commitment," she said. "I felt like, 'No, I'm not going to leave it so obscure.' "
Holtzman first made the announcement to her department heads via text. She said she knew she would not be able to deliver the message in person.
"I cried the entire time I texted," she said.
Holtzman does not have a date yet on when she will leave. The house is going on the market, so she wanted to make the decision public before word got out another way.
Once she steps down, Commissioners Tim Kriebel and Lance Langraf will choose a temporary replacement. Then, there will be a special election to decide who will complete the remainder of Holtzman's term, which would have ended in May 2024.
The sun will come out tomorrow andit will be another day
"I fell like, in almost seven years, I have done the best I could do for our city and hopefully made a difference," she said. "I had a great team to work with ...(and) met a lot of great people being mayor. It was a wonderful experience."
