Rosien resigns as Washington mayor

WASHINGTON — The Washington City Council unanimously accepted a letter of resignation from Mayor Jaron Rosien Tuesday night, effective March 1.

City officials had called on Rosien to step down as he passed the 1-year mark of a voluntary, unpaid leave of absence while facing charges for third degree sexual abuse. Last month, the council voted to send a letter to the city’s chief executive, formally asking him to vacate the office.

“I have struggled immensely with this decision,” said the letter, which was read aloud by Mayor Pro Tem Millie Youngquist. “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.”

Rosien declined a request for further comments.

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 alleged sexual assault broke in January of 2023.

“I believe we need to move forward and accept the resignation,” 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.”

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Rosien has pleaded not guilty to the criminal allegation, but his case has lingered in the court system longer than initially expected. His latest pretrial conference ended in the fourth continuance of proceedings since charges were announced in January of 2023.

The next such conference is set for May 10, with a trial to follow on May 21, although previous court records suggested the parties involved were engaged in plea negotiations.

Rosien’s 13-month leave of absence left other officials in Washington anxious about long-term plans, with the status of city leadership unknown more than a few months in advance.

“It’s time to put someone in the mayor’s position that wants to be there,” Council Member Fran Stigers said in an interview ahead of Tuesday’s meeting. “Not that Millie’s not doing a great job, she’s doing a great job, but that’s not what she signed up for.”

At the same meeting Tuesday night, council members voted to hold a vacancy-filling mayoral election on April 30, although City Attorney Kevin Olson said the Washington County Auditor’s Office might reject that date.

If it does, he said to expect an election in July instead, since May and June are a busy time for the county department.

County Auditor Dan Widmer said the April 30 proposal had not yet been approved or denied shortly before this paper’s deadline on Wednesday morning.

It’s anyone’s guess who might run to replace Rosien as the head of the city. The outgoing mayor entered office in 2018 and ran unopposed for re-election in 2021. Asked about the possibility of putting her name on the ballot earlier this week, Youngquist said she was “thinking of it,” but had not yet decided.

In the event of a summer special election, it’s possible Rosien could run himself, assuming the trial is not rescheduled, and doesn’t end in a guilty verdict.

Some city council members have welcomed that possibility, at least hypothetically.

“Jaron is welcome to run as mayor after he deals with and resolves his legal matters,” said Ivan Rangel in a text on Monday. “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.”

Comments: Kalen.McCain@southeastiowaunion.com