At-large Greensboro city council member Michelle Kennedy resigned from city council during the meeting tonight. Kennedy was elected in 2017 and her term was set to expire in 2022.

“Since Kennedy’s resignation comes prior to the end of her four year term, the City Council will follow section 3.02 (c) of the Greensboro City Charter and create a process to fill the vacant seat,” according to a city press release.

Earlier on Tuesday, the Rhino Times reported that Kennedy was resigning because she “applied for the… position as director of the Neighborhood Development Department, which she reportedly cannot accept as a member of the City Council.”

While Kennedy did not explain her reason for resigning via text message with TCB, the former council person has been the most vocal member of city council when it comes to the Marcus Smith case. In April, Kennedy called for an independent investigation into the case but the call ultimately didn’t lead to any action.

“When it was clear that there was no support for an independent investigation into the death of Marcus Smith, I stepped back and then we broached the topic of a larger departmental-wide audit of our police department and then there was also no support for that either,” Kennedy said in June. “It was difficult. It was clear that it wasn’t going anywhere, and it was very difficult to me because of my concerns around transparency.”

Reached via text message tonight, Kennedy had this to say:

“I will continue in the future, as I have in the past, to advance issues of affordable housing and equity. I look forward to serving my community in whatever capacity I am needed.”

This is a developing story.

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