BY TRACY LEE TATE
Special to the Times
LAKE BUTLER— The Union County Board of County Commissioners will have an empty seat at its next meeting on Monday, Nov. 20, with the resignation of District 1 commissioner and board chair Ryan Perez.
Perez sent a resignation letter to the board office on November 6. but the letter was undated and, therefore, could not be deemed official. On November 10, he sent another letter to Governor Ron DeSantis and the board, properly dated and consequently official.
In the first unofficial letter, Perez cited his “commitment to this appointment has been detrimental to my physical and mental health.”
“It has also begun to affect my home life and my obligations as a husband and father,” the commissioner added. “My dedication to my duty has overshadowed my duty to my health and my family. I can no longer justify this imbalance.”
In his second and official letter, he simply informs the governor and the board that he is resigning from his position effective November 10.
Perez also stated, “It was an honor to serve the citizens of Union County throughout my tenure. I would like to thank my constituents and fellow elected officials for their support during my time of service. I am deeply grateful for having this privilege.”
The Times contacted Perez for more details about the reason for his resignation, but he declined to comment further on the record beyond the content of his letters.
Perez would have had only 12 months until his seat was up for re-election, so the county is not required to hold a special election to fill it. That would only be required if the seat would be empty for 23 months or more. The decision whether to appoint someone to fill the seat or leave it vacant is at the governor’s discretion.
