Mountain View City Councilmember Sally Lieber will resign from her seat, effective Dec. 30. Lieber – who was recently elected to the State Board of Equalization – says the city attorney recently determined that serving both roles would present a conflict of interest.
“While there is no direct incompatibility between the offices, there is a conflict based on a piece of telecom equipment that exists in Mountain View,” said Lieber. The Board of Equalization assesses a tax on that equipment.
“I have to pick and choose between two offices, and that’s really an embarrassment of riches,” she added.
Lieber was emotional as she explained her decision. Until recently, she had intended to hold both positions simultaneously.
Lieber was elected to the State Board of Equalization’s Second District on Nov. 8. She received close to 70% of the vote.
“I would just like to thank you for your service to the residents of Mountain View and for all of your support of city staff over these last few years,” City Manager Kimbra McCarthy told Lieber. “It’s been a tremendous support for staff always having the encouraging words and really understanding, I think, where some of the push and pull is with the desire to do a lot of great work and then not necessarily always having the resources.”