Bluffton will have a new mayor sometime this summer.

Dennis Gallant, Bluffton mayor, informed Bluffton council members on Monday evening that he has accepted a new job and will be moving from the community this summer.

Following the meeting, Gallant told The Icon that he has accepted a CPA position in Sandusky. His family will move there after school is over. 

Gallant became mayor on March 1, 2013, when then-mayor Eric Fulcomer resigned to accept another job in Rockford, Ill., Gallant was serving as council president at the time and, in the order of succession, became mayor automatically. He then ran unopposed for mayor in November 2013 and won.

Mitch Kingsley, current council president, is in line to assume the mayoral role in Bluffton when Gallant resigns.

Should Kingsley move from council to mayor, his vacancy on council would result in council appointing someone to replace his council seat.

Gallant’s announcement followed significant council action concerning sidewalks. Council tabled the third read of its proposed amended sidewalk ordinance. The amended ordinance has had several changes since first being introduced earlier this year.

Kingsley, who moved to table the ordinance, said that due to the many changes made to the ordinance, he would like the council street and alleys committee (Joe Sehlhorst and Roger Warren) to review the ordinance before it comes back to council’s table.

The street and alley committee set its meeting to review the ordinance at 7 p.m., Wednesday, May 14.

Other council reports are in the council packet, which is an attachment at the bottom of this story.