Delcioppo steps down from City Council due to ‘medical diagnosis’

Charleston City Councilwoman Marie Delcioppo announced her resignation via a letter addressed to Charleston Mayor John Tecklenburg on Wednesday Oct. 13, effective that day. She explained that she was leaving office for medical reasons.
 
The District 1 seat holder, a resident and representative of Daniel Island, Cainhoy and downtown, noted in her letter to the mayor that “It has been an honor and a privilege to serve this community in such a way, and I thank you (Tecklenburg) for your leadership and commitment to our city.”  
 
“On behalf of all our citizens, I’d like to thank Marie for her outstanding service to the city of Charleston, and to wish her well as she returns to private life,” Tecklenburg said. “Throughout her time on council, she has been an exemplary public servant, and her contributions will surely be missed.”
 
In November 2019, Delcioppo was elected to council. She served on the following standing committees: Ways and Means, Traffic and Transportation, Human Resources, Recreation, Small Claims, Tourism Commission and the Arts Commission.
 
A longtime Charlestonian, Delcioppo graduated from Bishop England High School and received her bachelor’s in journalism and communications from the University of Florida, where she graduated summa cum laude. 
 
Delcioppo now works full-time as a strategic marketing consultant, specializing in real estate development, architecture, and construction. She also has a passion for fitness and is a certified Pilates instructor. But as of late, she felt her personal health and well-being was taking a toll on her life inside and outside city hall’s chambers. 
 
“It’s something that I’ve had to consider for a little while now,” Delcioppo said in a private interview with The Daniel Island News. “... It’s not like I woke up this morning and made a decision.”
 
Unlike traditional jobs where one can give a two-week notice, Delcioppo explained she didn’t have that luxury as an elected official due to the importance of her voting power. The day an elected official announces their resignation is their last day as an officeholder, she said.     
 
“It’s just become apparent over the past couple weeks that it’s just too much to handle,” Delcioppo added.
 
After filing her resignation, Delcioppo issued a statement to the city that the reason and rationale behind the step down comes on the heels of a “recent health challenge.”  
 
Delcioppo later clarified that the health-related concern in question is physical in nature. “I have a medical diagnosis that I wish to keep just in my family.”
 
“This was strictly from a perspective of my health, it’s not because of any particular (council) issue or anything of that nature,” Delcioppo said. “I wasn’t being of service to anyone, including myself ... I want to respect that respect that they’ve shown me.”  
 
Delcioppo’s was civically engaged on Daniel Island for at least half a decade. From 2017-19, Delcioppo served as president of the Daniel Island Neighborhood Association (DINA).
 
On DINA, she spearheaded grassroots efforts, including the installation of blacked out and busted streetlights, stop signs and ‘no parking this side of street’ signs. 
 
Delcioppo wore many hats over the last five-year stretch of her civic life, which includes: Board members of the Berkeley County Sheriff’s Office Citizen Advisory Team, commissioner of the Berkeley County Board of Elections and Voter Registration, commissioner of the City of Charleston Neighborhood Council and walk coordinator of the National Eating Disorders Association Charleston Walk.
 
“None of these positions that I hold are mine,” Delcioppo added. “I’m just there as a representative of a group of people. So at the end of the day it’s who best represents their voice.”
 
Delcioppo still serves on a few of these boards that meet much less infrequently than council. She said she intends to continue serving for the foreseeable future.
 
“I don’t think I can ever go back to living this little quiet life that I used to live. I guess some way I’m going to find myself reengaged in some form of advocacy work and whatnot but we’ll see.”
 
As for the role that she played on council, Delcioppo explained she was instrumental in the development of the city’s Comprehensive Plan. She was an advocate for the protection of Cainhoy and nearby settlements. She fought for the preservation of historic gravesites and cemeteries in the area.      
 
Delcioppo said she is most proud of her relationship building and the inclusion of Daniel Island into the city. She truly felt she helped bridge the geographical gap between the municipality and its governance on the island.  
 
“Serving the citizens of District One on Charleston City Council has been one of the great honors of my life and a genuine labor of love,” Delcioppo continued. “... As I move through this transition, I want to thank everyone, citizen and colleague alike, who has worked so hard to keep our city safe and strong over these past two years,” Delcioppo added. “It has been my privilege to serve the residents of Charleston, and I look forward to continuing that work as a private citizen in the days ahead.”   
 
In accordance with South Carolina law, a special election for Delcioppo’s seat will be held on Jan. 11, 2022. The candidate filing period will run from Oct. 29 at noon to Nov. 8 at noon. 
 
Delcioppo anticipates that Daniel Island will gain a second representative after the city’s district lines are redrawn, which would mean a second vote on council. Preliminary drawings are expected to surface sometime next month.
 

Daniel Island Publishing

225 Seven Farms Drive
Unit 108
Daniel Island, SC 29492 

Office Number: 843-856-1999
Fax Number: 843-856-8555

 

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