Vance Funk Finally Backs Off Blaming South Main Street Coalition For Safety For His Health Problems

More of the story from (Newark Post)'s Josh Shannon ~ Gas pump opponents: ‘Don’t need to lose mayor over this’

When Jim and Carol McKelvey founded the South Main Street Coalition for Safety earlier this year to protest against a proposed gas station, they never imagined the issue would cost Newark its mayor. “I think he’s done a great job. Look at all he’s done,” Jim McKelvey said. “We don’t need to lose our mayor over this.”

The couple formed the group in response to a proposed Wawa that would bring 12 gas pumps to the Park-N-Shop shopping center at the corner of South Main Street and Apple Road.
When Mayor Vance A. Funk III announced he plans to resign at the end of September, he cited the group’s activities for causing him stress-related health issues. He said the protesters made him feel “uncomfortable,” and in media interviews last week, he accused them of “stalking” him.

The McKelveys, who live on Winslow Road, spoke out Monday in an attempt to set the record straight, they said. Addressing the crowd gathered at the city council meeting, Carol McKelvey said her husband attended Newark Day and other events wearing a sandwich board reading “No more gas pumps on South Main Street,” but did not mean harm to Funk. “He did not stalk the mayor,” she said. “He did not stalk anyone.”

Funk has back-tracked significantly from his first diatribe. 

The Mayor's changed his inane plans to hold city residents hostage by actively not-being-mayor through the end of 2013. He's come to his senses and will instead leave at the end of September.

Plus, he now admits the WAWA controversy “was not the prime determining factor in his reason to end his term early.” Gee thanks for finally spitting that out, Vance.
As robin brown reports ~

Funk changed the effective date of his resignation to accommodate the process for a special election in accordance with the city’s charter.Council will hold a special meeting on Sept. 30 to schedule the special election, which is expected to be held Nov. 26, 

.........“Considering that it is not in my best interest health wise to attend the many meetings between now and the end of the year and to allow the election process to move forward in a timely fashion, I determined September 30 to be an appropriate date for my term to end,” Funk said in the news release. Funk’s last official act will be to host the 10th annual Taste of Newark event, which he founded, on Sept. 29, the statement said.
Although community opposition to the proposed development of a Wawa convenience store and gas station at South Main Street and Apple Road created stress for Funk, the city statement said that the controversy “was not the prime determining factor in his reason to end his term early.”

I like Vance. We even share a birthday. But his blame game antics were far too idiotic to suffer in silence. 

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