Alexandria's vice mayor resigns

"I'm sure everybody tried to get him to change his mind, but it was obvious to me that he had made up his mind," Pepper said. "I was just astonished. Nobody expected that."

Pepper said she didn't know what led to MacDonald's decision, but his reasons were personal. MacDonald did not return a call seeking comment.

MacDonald, an Alexandria native, was first elected to city council in 2003 and re-elected in 2006. Formerly an Environmental Protection Agency consultant on pollution and waste management issues, MacDonald pushed the city to adopt environmental initiatives. He urged the council to pay for tree conservation and to reduce the car tax paid by clean-fuel vehicle drivers in the 2008 budget.

MacDonald was also interested in conservation of the many historic homes and sites in Alexandria. He worked to get city funding for the survey needed to add the Parker-Gray neighborhood to the national historic list.

"We regret that Andrew is leaving the City Council, but we recognize that life requires that we make tough decisions," Mayor William D. Euille said in a statement.
MacDonald's decision means the city must hold a special election. The city's charter doesn't allow the council to appoint an interim member until the November elections, Alexandria Registrar Tom Parkins said.

The election must be held between 55 and 75 days of the resignation. Parkins said he will recommend a July 17 election date. It will cost between $50,000 and $60,000, he said.

"It's not the kind of thing that happens often," Parkins said. The last special election was held after a resignation from the school board in 2002.

Pepper, who has served on the council since 1983, said the last special election for council occurred in the 1980s, when the then-vice mayor became engaged and moved out of the city.

mhegstad@dcexaminer.com