Traverse City commissioner and mayor pro tem Brian Haas resigned from the commission effective Monday.

City Manager Marty Colburn read an email from Haas sent to City Clerk Benjamin Marentette at the beginning of Monday night’s commission meeting. “I’m resigning my position on the City of Traverse City commission effective today, August 13, 2018,” Haas wrote. “I am more than grateful to have had the opportunity to serve the community and to work with my fellow commissioners and staff to make a lasting impact on this great city.” Haas, who has served on the commission since 2015, did not provide a reason for his resignation. He was absent from the commission's Monday meeting and also missed the August 6 meeting.

Colburn told commissioners he planned to make Haas’ resignation a discussion and potential action item at the commission’s next meeting. The board will need to select a new mayor pro tem and determine how to fill the rest of Haas’ term, which goes through 2019. Commissioners could appoint a registered city voter to fill the rest of Haas’ term, leave the seat vacant until an election can be held, or a hybrid – appoint someone to fill the seat until an election is held. When choosing to make an appointment in the past, commissioners have typically advertised for and recruited applicants, then held an open interview process to fill the vacancy.