SALISBURY — After a month-long vetting process, he Salisbury City Council this week tapped its newest member, R. Hardy Rudasil, to fill a vacancy in District 5 created in September when Council Vice President Laura Mitchell resigned.
Citing personal and family issues, Salisbury City Council Vice President Laura Mitchell last month announced her resignation effective at the end of September. Mitchell, who was first elected to the Salisbury City Council in 2011 and re-elected to a second term last year, announced her decision in mid-September, setting in motion a process spelled out in the city’s charter to replace her.
Mitchell said at her resignation announcement her husband last spring had taken a position with a research firm in Montgomery County last spring and the couple had been back and forth between the jurisdictions since. The loss of an infant grandchild last summer expedited the decision to make the family whole again and precipitated the resignation announcement.
The resignation set in motion a process to replace her, beginning with a call for letters of interest and resumes. The next step was interviews of the potential candidates and ultimately an internal vote by the sitting City Council, which ultimately chose Rudasil from the field of potential candidates and he was officially sworn in on Monday.
Rudasil had served for the last two years on the city’s Housing Board of Adjustments and Appeals and brings a wealth of experience to the Salisbury City Council. He has a Juris Doctorate from the Illinois College of Law and worked for former U.S. Senator Paul Sarbanes. His other work experiences include the Upward Bound Program at the University of Maryland, the University of Illinois Law Library, Wor-Wic Community College, the University of Maryland Eastern Shore and the Office of the Public Defender among others.
Salisbury Mayor Jake Day, who initially encouraged Rudasil’s appointment to the Housing Board of Adjustments and Appeals, praised the City Council for their selection.
“I’m honored to congratulate Mr. Rudasil on his appointment to the Council,” he said this week. “His acumen is matched only be his desire to serve, and the breadth of experience he brings will be a great benefit to his constituents. I look forward to the positive work this council will continue to accomplish. I am also proud to see Muir Boda selected as the council’s new vice president.”
