COSTA MESA : Glasgow Announces Council Resignation

City Councilman Ed Glasgow surprised city officials this week when he announced he will resign his seat for “health reasons.”

Glasgow, 62, hand-delivered a “very brief” resignation letter to City Hall on Wednesday, saying he will leave the council June 15 with 18 months left in his term. City officials said they were unaware of any health problems and that his resignation came as a shock.

Glasgow also recently resigned from the Senior Citizens Commission.

City Manager Allan L. Roeder described his initial reaction as “somewhat mixed. I was aware that he had been experiencing problems with high blood pressure and his circulation system, but I was not aware that it had come to the point where it would jeopardize his health and position on the council.”

He added, “I give him a great deal of credit for putting his health and family before his position on the council.”

The resignation also surprised Councilman Peter F. Buffa. “It was a very terse and unexpected message from Mr. Glasgow that I received in the City Council mail,” he said.

Glasgow, a conservative former police captain elected to the council in November, 1988, made a number of controversial moves during his tenure.

In December, Glasgow was criticized for reading confidential computer messages exchanged by Costa Mesa Police Chief David L. Snowden and Roeder. The district attorney considered filing charges against Glasgow and former Costa Mesa Police Lt. Donald A. Regan, who had obtained the documents, but did not do so.

Glasgow was also one of three council members who voted in 1989 for a controversial law targeting day workers.

Under city code, the City Council must determine within the next 30 days whether to hold a special election or make an appointment to fill the unexpired term. According to Roeder, a special election could cost an estimated $40,000.

The council has called a special closed session Tuesday evening to discuss how Glasgow’s seat will be filled.