I Quit

“I quit on this date.”
Monty Collins, Former mayor of Alto, Texas

It’s true what they say: you can’t please all of the people all of the time. Sadly for the mayor of Alto, Texas (population 1,164), when it came to his city council, he couldn’t please any of the people any of the time.

Elected as mayor by a 2-to-1 margin last May, Monty Collins might be excused if he thought he had a mandate to make decisions in the best interest of his town. But the Alto city council saw things differently right from the get-go.

First, there was the decision by the city council to disband the entire police force in response to budget cuts, despite the strong objections of Mr. Collins. It was small consolation when, months later, the force was rehired.

Then, contrary to the wishes of the city council—and, as it turns out, state law—Mr. Collins leaked a document to the Texas Railroad Commission. In finger-wagging fashion, the council ordered the 78-year-old mayor to follow its orders and not to talk to the press or public.

In response, Mr. Collins did the only thing he could to please the city council. He didn’t say a word. He simply left a note that read: “I quit on this date.”

Read more → Joshua Rhett Miller, Mayor of Texas town resigns in 5-word note, FoxNews.com, March 21, 2012.