Tucson City Councilman Paul Durham Resigns

TUCSON, AZ — The Tucson City Council is losing one of its members.

Councilman Paul Durham announced his resignation in a resignation letter Monday.

Addressing Tucson Mayor Regina Romero and City Clerk Roger Randolph, Durham said he needed to "attend to personal matters." Durham represented Ward 3 on the council, which he will continue to do until March 1.

"I want to thank my Ward 3 staff for the extraordinary work that they do every day," he wrote. "I also thank my colleagues on the Mayor and Council, each of whom is copied on this letter, for your friendship and leadership. And I thank all City employees for their service to our community. But most of all, I thank my husband Philippe, for everything."

Durham previously took a step back from his duties in September 2020 while he recovered from an injury and his husband battled terminal cancer.

Durham was a vocal presence on the council and was instrumental in passing Tucson's climate emergency plan. The plan, which was a joint effort with Romero, pledges that all city departments will be carbon neutral by 2030.

In a statement, Romero thanked Durham for his service and said she will miss his presence on the council.

"I am grateful for his leadership on issues ranging from climate action to affordable housing and will miss his voice on the council. I know this must have been an incredibly difficult decision to make, and I ask our community to join me in thanking him for his service to Tucsonans and respecting his privacy at this time."

The city manager's office had no further comment.

The Tucson city charter dictates that the mayor and council will select a qualified elector to fill Durham's vacancy. That selection will take place at a regular or special council session. Whoever is selected to fill Durham's seat will serve out the remainder of his term.