TREASURE ISLAND, Fla. — Tyler Payne, the mayor of Treasure Island, announced his resignation Monday afternoon. He cited personal and professional reasons for leaving his position.
In a social media post, Payne said he cannot provide the time it takes to be the city's mayor, especially while Treasure Island continues its recovery after being hit by Hurricanes Helene and Milton.
Treasure Island was covered in debris, and many homes were destroyed by the storms. Multiple businesses in the area were forced to close during and after the hurricanes. The city's popular Sanding Ovations Festival was also canceled as workers and neighbors continued to recover.
"While it pains my heart to make this decision in the midst of our recovery from Hurricanes Helene and Milton, this is the best decision for me and my family," Payne wrote in the post. "As we recover from these storms, it is going to be critical for the Mayor to dedicate a significant amount of time to lead our community through the process. At this point in my professional and personal life, I unfortunately do not have the necessary bandwidth to fulfill that need."
Payne has been the mayor of Treasure Island for the past three and a half years, but he will now concentrate on his other full-time job in his family business. He will also be leaving the city after the storms caused his and his parents' home to be flooded and severely damaged.
"While my parents will rebuild and we will fortunately continue to have those roots in Treasure Island, my husband and I cannot afford to do the same," Payne said. "That being said, I completely empathize with the difficult decisions that are facing so many of our residents. We aren’t moving far and I intend to remain an active part of the Treasure Island community that I love so much."
The post mentioned Vice Mayor John Doctor will serve as the city's mayor in the meantime.
A South Tampa man turned to Susan Solves It after he said ADT told him he had to keep paying for a security system at his Hurricane Helene-damaged home, even though the system was so new that he never had a day of service.
