Jupiter Island Commissioner Harold 'Hank' Heck resigns; Commission to appoint replacement

Lina Ruiz, Treasure Coast Newspapers
·2 min read

JUPITER ISLAND — The Town Commission could appoint a replacement next month for Harold “Hank” Heck, who resigned from office Dec. 30.

Heck was appointed to his seat in November 2019 and was elected to a full term in March 2021.

His resignation follows months of various legal disputes involving residents, commissioners and the town itself over development proposals and public records.

In his resignation letter, Heck offered no specific reason for stepping down, although he and Commissioner Michael Brooks had called a special meeting Dec. 13 to discuss the possibility of a vacancy on the commission.

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“It has been an honor to work for the residents of Jupiter Island,” Heck wrote in his resignation letter. He did not respond to requests for comment by TCPalm.

Mayor Whitney Pidot said Tuesday he was surprised and disappointed by the resignation, but was thankful for Heck’s expertise as an attorney that allowed him to “apply legal principles to decision making.”

Former Jupiter Island Commissioner Harold "Hank" Heck resigned from his position on Dec. 30, 2021 after serving for two years.
Former Jupiter Island Commissioner Harold "Hank" Heck resigned from his position on Dec. 30, 2021 after serving for two years.

Pidot did refer to the divisiveness within the town which preceded Heck’s departure.

“I am concerned about the discord that’s been stirred up among residents (and) incredible misinformation that’s been fed to them by various sources,” Pidot said. “My personal desire is that this issue be resolved.”

The commission on Feb. 16 is to discuss candidates to fill Heck’s seat. If a new commissioner is chosen, he or she would be sworn in at the commission’s March meeting and serve for a year until the next election, March 21. 2023, Pidot said.

As of Tuesday, only Joe McChristian Jr. and Marshall Field VI had applied to fill the vacancy.

Lina Ruiz is TCPalm's watchdog reporter for Martin County. You can reach her at lina.ruiz@tcpalm.com, on Twitter @Lina_Ruiz48 or at 321-501-3845.

This article originally appeared on Treasure Coast Newspapers: Jupiter Island Town Commission to fill Harold "Hank" Heck's vacant seat