Washington Mayor Jaron Rosien resigns

WASHINGTON — The Washington City Council voted unanimously Tuesday to accept a letter of resignation from Mayor Jaron Rosien.

City officials had called on Rosien to step down as he passed the one-year mark of a voluntary, unpaid leave of absence while facing a charge of third-degree sexual abuse. Last month, the council voted to send a letter asking him to resign.

“I have struggled immensely with this decision,” Rosien’s resignation letter said. “I ran for office to better our community. And I keep returning to what is best for the city of Washington. Ultimately, continuing on with a leave of absence slows progress.”

The letter listed a resignation date of March 1.

Rosien declined a request for comment Tuesday night.

The 5-0 vote — with Council Member Ivan Rangel absent — came with little fanfare. City officials said they were eager to move on from the subject, a frequent elephant in the room since news of the mayor’s arrest broke in January 2023.

“I believe we need to move forward and accept the resignation,” Mayor Pro Tem Millie Youngquist said. “I would hope that we could move forward and not spend a lot of time rehashing the past, what has happened over the last year.”

Rosien has pleaded not guilty to the sexual abuse charge. He is accused of making crude comments to a male customer at Rosien’s bar, J.P.’s 207, and touching the man’s thigh and genitalia from outside the man’s pants in January 2023.

The trial has been continued four times, and currently is scheduled to begin May 21.

Reached for comment Monday, some city council members said they were relieved to see the discussion on Tuesday’s agenda, saying the past year was rife with uncertainty about long-term goals. Mayor Pro Tem Millie Youngquist has served in her backup role as mayor since Rosien’s arrest.

“It’s time to put someone in the mayor’s position that wants to be there,” council member Fran Stigers said. “Not that Millie’s not doing a great job, she’s doing a great job, but that’s not what she signed up for.”

Special election will choose next mayor

At the same meeting Tuesday, city council members voted to hold a special election to choose a new mayor. The council tentatively set the election for April 30, but City Attorney Kevin Olson said the Washington County Auditor’s Office has the final say in the election date.

Olson said the election could be delayed until July because May and June are a busy time for the auditor’s office.

Youngquist said she felt confident about the city’s position in the meantime, as the local government hits budget-planning season.

“I think that we’ve kept the city going, we’ve done everything we should at the appropriate times,” she said. “I don’t feel that it’s been all that rocky, just the uncertainty of it, perhaps … has made it difficult, but I (think) we’re in good shape.”

Rosien has been mayor since 2018. He ran unopposed when he sought re-election in 2021.

Asked about the possibility of putting her name on the ballot, Youngquist said she was “thinking of it,” but had not yet decided.

Whoever does throw their name in the hat will have big shoes to fill. Rosien’s list of accomplishments include an assertive stance in negotiations involving an international railroad merger, compromise-seeking on an overhaul to municipal parking ordinances, steering the city through a pandemic, and a history of volunteerism with local nonprofits, to name a few.

Decision-makers have stressed that their call for Rosien’s departure was apolitical. Council Member Ivan Rangel said the need for new leadership was motivated by the mayor’s time away from office, more than anything else.

“Jaron is welcome to run as mayor after he deals with and resolves his legal matters,” Rangel said. “Don't take it wrong, he was great at being mayor. But now we need someone in that position to take the reins on and deal with the issues in Washington full-time.”

Others have said their wish for Rosien’s exit was based entirely on the alleged conduct that led to his arrest.

Council Member Elaine Moore, for instance, called on the mayor to step down at the first public meeting after news of the criminal accusation broke.

“Jaron took an oath to be a leader of this community and a representative of Washington throughout this state,” she said in February 2023. “I believe his actions, whether judged a criminal offense or not, shows that Jaron is no longer able to carry out the oath of office.”

Comments: Kalen.McCain@southeastiowaunion.com