DeLisle presided over her final City Council meeting on Oct. 16. The event was marked by tearful tributes and emotional speeches from council members and friends as the mayor prepared to relocate with her family.
“It’s been a ridiculous honor to be your mayor and something I could have never imagined,” DeLisle said. “There are days when I just think, ‘How the heck did I get here?’”
The details
DeLisle announced her intention to resign her term early during the Sept. 18 City Council meeting and gave official notice to the city Oct. 10. DeLisle said she and her family will be moving to be closer to other family members.
The council presented DeLisle an award statue for her service, and each council member shared memories of their time working with the outgoing mayor.
The background
DeLisle started her political career as a City Council member in 2018. She was elected to her first term as mayor in 2021 and was re-elected to another three-year term in 2024.
DeLisle said some of her proudest accomplishments during her tenure included hiring City Manager Todd Parton, building the Leander Senior Activity Center and fostering a more collaborative and functional City Council.
“I came to a city, staff and council that was divided and broken when I became mayor,” DeLisle said. “My mantra was simple: We will not be that council.”
DeLisle said she maintained a zero tolerance policy for aggression and worked to build a more collaborative and respectful discourse between council members and staff.
“I’m so incredibly proud of the work we have done here. We are functional as a city and as a council. We are so functional that we have become the model of what a City Council should be on the dais.”
What else?
A special election will be held Feb. 7 to find DeLisle’s permanent replacement. Mayor Pro Tem Na’Cole Thompson will serve as mayor in the interim.
Candidates for the mayor’s seat can pick up candidate packets starting Oct. 17. Applicants will then have to submit their candidacy between Nov. 10 and Dec. 8 to be included on the ballot in February.
