Both of the College Park City Councilmembers who represent District 2 announced on July 30 that they will not run for re-election in November.
In separate letters to constituents published on their joint College Park District 2 Digest, Councilmembers Llatetra Brown Esters and Susan Whitney each pointed to increasing demands on their time from their full-time, non-council jobs and their families as reasons for leaving the council.
“My need to be present for family has become a priority,” Esters, who joined the council in 2020, wrote in her statement. “As such, I do not believe I can give the role of councilmember the attention and focus it requires.”
Similarly, Whitney, who has been on the council since 2021, wrote, “My work and family responsibilities have increased substantially since the last election, and I no longer have the time and energy to provide the level of service District 2 residents deserve.”
District 2 includes the communities of Berwyn, Branchville, Lakeland and Oak Springs.
The announcements came five days before Councilmember John Rigg, District 3, revealed that he does not intend to run for re-election, also citing a desire to spend more time with family.
District 3 includes the neighborhoods of Old Town, Calvert Hills, College Park Estates and Yarrow as well as the southern off-campus areas around the University of Maryland.
Esters, who lives in Oak Springs, works as a higher education administrator. Whitney lives in Berwyn and works as a business and operations program manager at the University of Maryland.
All eight city council seats and the position of mayor are up for election in November. Candidates must register with the city by Sept. 12 to be included on the ballot.