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Cupertino's ex-mayor retires from city council
Statton cites soaring home prices as part of reason
By KEVIN FAYLE
Former Mayor John Statton answered the roll call for the Jan. 16 meeting of the city council in his usual humorous fashion. However, this time, the humor was bittersweet. When the city clerk called his name, Statton answered "Rock 'n' rollin,' but not for long."
True to his word, Statton stood before the council during the oral communication period and announced his resignation from that body, effective immediately.
In address, Statton explained his decision to resign and reviewed his history with the city of Cupertino. Statton began his reminiscence with his arrival in Cupertino as an employee of Apple Computers, moved through his time as the head of the Chamber of Commerce, and finished with the convening of the first community congress during his term as mayor.
Statton thanked the people of Cupertino and especially his fellow members on the council. "I've had the pleasure of working with wonderful people," he told them.
The seated council members said their goodbyes to Statton soon after. Don Burnett remarked that he always anticipated Statton's quips at the beginning of each meeting, and Richard Lowenthal also said he would miss Statton's humor. Lowenthal also thanked Statton for offering different points of view when the council would consider an issue from only one perspective. "He helped us make better decisions," Lowenthal said.
Mayor Sandy James summed up the feelings of the council when she told Statton that "We wish you the very best."
Statton had told the city attorney, Chuck Killian, and the members of the council of his decision to resign beforehand, but did not inform them that he planned to offer his resignation on this particular night. Therefore, the council had not arranged for any parting ceremony, but Statton says he preferred it this way.
"I tend to be a very shy person at times," he said, "and having a great deal of fuss made over me is never a pleasant thing."
Statton mentioned in his speech that he began to consider his resignation after moving to a new job as director of legal services for the Kabira software company in San Rafael. He mentioned the difficult commute, but said that the real force behind his decision came because of the difficulties he had in finding an affordable house in Cupertino.
"I would have stayed in Cupertino if it wasn't for the housing situation," he confessed later. "You know, it's awfully tough, actually impossible, to find a reasonably priced house in Cupertino."
He found an affordable house in Novato, much closer to his workplace. The deal on the house closed much sooner than he had anticipated, so he had to move up his plans to resign, since he would violate state law by remaining on the council while living in another city.
Statton says his main concern in resigning before the end of his term in office comes from his feeling that he has not fulfilled the task put to him by the people who voted him into office.
"People were kind enough to vote for me," he said, "and it was certainly my intent to carry out the full term. I hope that people will understand."
Statton says the people of Cupertino constitute the city's finest resource. "For years, we've struggled with what is the heart of Cupertino, when in reality the heart of Cupertino is in its people. I was just lucky enough that they opened their own hearts and let me share in that. It was a great run."
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Cupertino, California Since 1947
