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Joel Burns resigns from Fort Worth City Council
FORT WORTH — Fort Worth City Councilman Joel Burns resigned Tuesday night, saying he is heading back to school.
Burns, 45, said he will serve on the council until a replacement is chosen.
But last week he accepted an invitation to pursue a Mid-Career Master in Public Administration at the Harvard Kennedy School in Massachusetts. It begins in July and runs through May of 2015.
“I love serving on the City Council. It has been something unlike anything I’ve ever done and I feel very much in the groove,†said Burns, a council member since 2008. “With this specialized [Masters] program, I’m going to be with some of the world’s smartest, brightest people … who care a lot about their communities.
“I’m not running off and never coming back,†he said. “This can give me additional tools to serve in whatever capacity I return in.â€
Choking back tears, Burns resigned Tuesday night, giving fellow council members and Mayor Betsy Price time to add the District 9 council job to the May 10 city and school ballot. His term would have expired next June.
Fort Worth Mayor Betsy Price said she is proud of his acceptance into the program, though she said the city will miss his service to the community.
“I certainly hate to see him go. Joel always serves from the heart. He is passionate about his constituents, but even more he is passionate about the city as a whole,†said Price.
Burns, a real estate agent who had served on the Fort Worth Planning and Zoning Commission, was sworn into office at his home in January 2008, winning the post after then-Councilwoman Wendy Davis resigned to run for the Texas Senate
FORT WORTH — Fort Worth City Councilman Joel Burns resigned Tuesday night, saying he is heading back to school.
Burns, 45, said he will serve on the council until a replacement is chosen.
But last week he accepted an invitation to pursue a Mid-Career Master in Public Administration at the Harvard Kennedy School in Massachusetts. It begins in July and runs through May of 2015.
“I love serving on the City Council. It has been something unlike anything I’ve ever done and I feel very much in the groove,†said Burns, a council member since 2008. “With this specialized [Masters] program, I’m going to be with some of the world’s smartest, brightest people … who care a lot about their communities.
“I’m not running off and never coming back,†he said. “This can give me additional tools to serve in whatever capacity I return in.â€
Choking back tears, Burns resigned Tuesday night, giving fellow council members and Mayor Betsy Price time to add the District 9 council job to the May 10 city and school ballot. His term would have expired next June.
Fort Worth Mayor Betsy Price said she is proud of his acceptance into the program, though she said the city will miss his service to the community.
“I certainly hate to see him go. Joel always serves from the heart. He is passionate about his constituents, but even more he is passionate about the city as a whole,†said Price.
Burns, a real estate agent who had served on the Fort Worth Planning and Zoning Commission, was sworn into office at his home in January 2008, winning the post after then-Councilwoman Wendy Davis resigned to run for the Texas Senate
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