COLUMBUS, Ga. (WRBL) -- Columbus Councilor John House tells WRBL that he will resign his citywide post on Tuesday night at the next Council meeting.
It is a difficult decision that has been coming for months. House, and his wife, Marilyn, sat down with WRBL for an interview Thursday morning.
"It was pretty clear about two or three months ago that I needed to make the decision," House said. "It's been building really for many months. I mean, it's no secret Marilyn's got Alzheimer's. It's early stage, but still it's there."
House says his time needs to be focused on his wife of more than 49 years and not city business.
"And thankfully she still likes me, so she likes having me around," House said. "And it just has gotten more and more difficult to do things and especially to leave her with somebody, even if she knows that person, even if just like our children. Thankfully, she'd rather be with me than anybody else."
John and Marilyn House have been a team for more than a half century. High school sweethearts to Auburn University, then through a 26-year Army career that saw John rise to the rank of colonel. When House became a councilor representing the entire city, he quickly earned a reputation for attending events. And, whether it was a ribbon cutting or a council meeting, Marilyn was usually by his side.
He was elected to Council in 2018, winning the remainder of Skip Henderson's term when Henderson resigned to run successfully for Mayor.
House won re-election in 2020 to a full term. Now, the commitment to the city -- and his wife -- is too much.
"So, we got to a point where it's serve of the city of Columbus or take care of Marilyn, and there's really kind of no contest there since she's put up with me for over 49 and a half years," House said. "So, I think I have to focus on her. And that's what I am going to do."
Some decisions are easier than others.
"It was a hard decision in that I don't like ending the term early," he said. "Because I had agreed to serve the four years. So it's hard in that respect. But when confronted with where I had to make a decision, it was pretty easy because again, Marilyn's my best friend and we've been married for a long time and I owe a lot because she put up with the Army and me and children and dogs as we bounced all over the place. And now since I had to make a decision, then, you know, the actual making of it was not all that hard because like I said, she is my priority and has been for a long time."
Columbus Council will appoint someone to fill House's unexpired term. The seat will then be on the ballot in 2024.
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