Arlington Selectman Abruptly Resigns: YourArlington

ARLINGTON, MA — The youngest selectman announced he will be giving up his seat in December, four months before the end of his term, at Monday's Board of Selectman meeting.

Steven Byrne told the rest of the board that between his day job as vice president of a Beacon Hill lobbying firm called Beacon Strategies Group and his recent marriage, it's too much of a time commitment.

There is "only so much time in the day," he said YourArlington first reported.

But the announcement, coming so soon after an ethics complaint in which someone asked selectmen to create a bylaw banning Arlington officials from working as lobbyists while holding office raises questions, the local blog YourArlington reported.

Byrne denies any correlation, according to YourArlington.

The board will have to appoint an interim member (by majority vote) within 30 days of the announcement to serve until the April Town Election.

Byrne was 26 when he was served as chairman of the selectmen. He was 24 when he was elected.

Read the full YourArlington stories here:

Read Byrne's goodbye letter.

Read about the ethics complaint

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