Capitola Vice Mayor Pederson abruptly resigns from office

CAPITOLA, Calif. (KION) - Capitola Vice Mayor Alexander Pederson abruptly resigned during Capitola's council meeting on Thursday night.

Pederson addressed the council and public on the decision during council comments, saying that there are multiple reasons for the departure --

From a new home in Santa Cruz, pulling him out of city limits, to what the former vice mayor calls "A campaign of legal harassment and intimidation."

Pederson says the concerned citizens of Capitola have been trying to get him out of office for some time.

“When I ran for office, I did so with an intention to serve this community, to have a positive impact. I had no expectation of the level of vitriol that would be expressed by this small but vocal minority," Pederson said.

Pederson has served on the council since being elected in 2022. The resignation also leaves Pederson off the Santa Cruz County Regional Transportation Commission.