Williams has been criticized recently for remaining on the Parker Town Council, despite having moved to Arizona.

After enduring weeks of controversy and criticism surrounding her move to Arizona a year ago, Parker Town Councilmember Renee Williams has resigned from her position on the Town Council.

In an email to OCN on Friday morning, September 18, Williams provided a copy of her resignation letter which was submitted to the Town Council on Thursday evening.

"I am sitting at my AZ desk with a packed suitcase, a tank full of gas, a plane ticket and a newly signed lease," the statement reads, in part. "I need to return home this afternoon to continue to satisfy the residency/vacancy requirements for Parker Town Council. My aging parents are across the street.  I do not want to leave them. So, as difficult as this decision is, I believe it is the right one.  Effective 9.18.20 I am resigning from Parker Town Council." 

Documentation started circulating several weeks ago that Williams, who has served on the Town Council since 2014 and is in the middle of her second term, sold her Parker home in May 2019 and changed her residency to be the same address as that of fellow councilmember Debbie Lewis. Meanwhile, her voter registration is listed for an address in Arizona, where she said she had relocated to live closer to her aging mother.

In addition, Williams' absence from council meetings was of concern, as she only attended half of the meetings held in the fall of 2019, and her attendance was spotty in early 2020, even before COVID hit and the meetings started being held virtually. After the COVID-19 lockdowns began, Williams committed to staying in isolation in Arizona indefinitely yet still continued to attend council meetings and represent the Parker community remotely.

"The absenteeism has been going on long before COVID hit," Parker Town Councilmember Jeff Toborg told us. "The councilmember position is not something that can be outsourced; it's an on-the-ground job. If I were in the same position, family would come first, and I would make the hard choice to resign my position for my family."

Now, amid the rising pressure from the community, it seems that Williams has made the hard decision to choose her family over her service.

"It has been a pleasure to serve and I hope I have left Parker a better place for the people who have made Parker their home and for the business community," she said in her parting email. "I urge you to choose your next leaders carefully as they will impact your lives more than you know. Your leaders should be in it for the best interests of all, not for themselves. These are trying times with new challenges for all of us.  Be kind.  Be graceful.  Seek to understand instead of being a keyboard warrior. I wish all of you peace, happiness and good fortune."  

These are indeed trying times, and we applaud Williams for her action. We wish her all the best in her future endeavors.