Tidball Resigns After Election Results

After a majority of Liberty Grove voters supported President Barack Obama in the last election, Robert Tidball decided to resign from the Liberty Grove Town Board, the Fire Board and all committees.

“My decision has nothing to do with the personal health issues, the functionality of the Board, the Town Board members or the Town employees,” said Tidball in his letter of resignation. “Rather, this past election has made it apparent to me that I do not represent the ideas and values of the majority of the Liberty Grove voters.”

Tidball, who considers himself an independent voter, was first appointed to the board in 2008. In the April 2012 election Tidball won one of two open seats with the most votes of four candidates.

But in November his constituents voted for the presidential candidate he opposed, and Tidball decided he no longer represents Liberty Grove voters.

“I didn’t want [Obama] to continue and the voters obviously did,” Tidball said. “That’s a big difference in my opinion.”

Out of 1,421 votes cast in Liberty Grove for president, 56.6 percent were for Obama and 43.4 percent were for candidate Mitt Romney. Liberty Grove also voted for republican Tommy Thompson for U.S. Senate, democrat Jamie Wall for House of Representatives and republican Garey Bies for State Assembly representative.

The remaining board members will decide how to fill Tidball’s seat during the town board meeting on Dec. 5.