Iola City Councilman Max Grundy and his family are leaving town.
Grundy told the Register Thursday he has sold his house on North Kentucky Street, and has purchased a home in Utah.
The plan is to complete the move within the next 60 days, Grundy said.
“We feel bad about leaving,” he said. “We had planned on staying here forever.”
Grundy said the area’s property taxes swayed them to return to Utah. The tax supports schools, roads and emergency services.
Grundy, who was elected to office in 2023, said Mayor Steve French asked him to continue serving on the Council “as long as I can.”
Grundy was among the five Council members unable to attend Tuesday’s meeting that wasn’t. With only three members in attendance, two short of a quorum, the city canceled the meeting.
Grundy serves Iola’s second voting district, which encompasses much of the northeast part of town.
A graphic artist by trade, Grundy will also put up for sale the decommissioned 120-foot Elm Street water tower he purchased in 2022 with the vision of converting it into a one-of-a-kind short term living space.
The tower has been inspected inside and out, Grundy said, and remains structurally sound.
“They put lasers on it, and everything was within a quarter of an inch of being completely perfect,” Grundy said. “For something that old to be that precise with all four legs is pretty incredible.”
Grundy said he drew up designs to convert the tank into two levels, including an open top floor and loft space to capitalize on a 360-degree view of Iola and the surrounding neighborhoods.
The bottom floor would have included two bedrooms, a kitchen and full bath.
The bottom of the tank’s “bowl” was to be used for storage.
