City Treasurer David Cohn to Resign

Hermosa Beach City Treasurer David Cohn has resigned from the position he was elected to in Nov. 2011. He will step down on May 15th, according to city officials.

When contacted by Patch this morning and asked why he was resigning, Cohn said to read his resignation letter.

In the letter (attached to this article), Cohn writes that his age (he is 72) and number of commitments have become too much for him. He recommends, based on his 18 months in office, that City Council make the city treasurer an appointed position, calling the position's duties mostly "ministerial."

To that end, at its next City Council meeting set for May 14th, city staff will recommend City Council have Hermosa Beach voters decide if the city treasurer position should be appointed, according to Alison Joob Gallagher, a city spokeswoman. The vote would take place in the next election in November.

At the May 14th meeting, staff will also echo Cohn's recommendation that Finance Director Viki Copeland serve as interim city treasurer until a permanent replacement has been selected.

Cohn replaced longtime City Treasurer John Workman, who had held the seat since 1993, in a close contest, beating him by gaining 56 percent of the vote. Workman died days after the election, at the age of 73 on Nov. 11, 2011, just before his term was over. 

During his term, Cohn found himself embroiled in a legal situation that sparked calls for his resignation when a woman he'd hired to give him massages tried to extort him. Two people pleaded no contest to felony extortion in the case and were sentenced in a Torrance courtroom earlier this year. Cohn was not charged with any crimes related to the matter.

What do you think of David Cohn's resignation?

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