AUBURN — In a surprise move, taxpayer advocate Ron Potvin resigned Wednesday night from his at-large seat on the School Committee because of health reasons.

It’s the third resignation from the committee this year. In March, Mike Farrell resigned from his Ward 1 seat. In May, Chairwoman Tracey Levesque resigned because she unexpectedly moved out of Ward 4.

Chairman Larry Pelletier is on medical leave and Tom Kendall is filling in for him.

Potvin delivered his resignation in person at the end of Wednesday’s meeting.

He said that two weeks after he was elected in November 2013, he discovered he had to undergo major thoracic surgery “to take care of an illness. It has been an up and down health struggle for the past year,” he said. “Things were going very good in the summertime, the springtime. However, the fall has been very difficult.”

Potvin said he considered maintaining some involvement on the committee until May, because that would not require a special election.

“Unfortunately I cannot do that, so I need to resign from the committee,” he said, choking up as he spoke. “I apologize to the people of Auburn and the committee.”

A former Auburn city councilor, Potvin is a fiscal conservative who said school budgets should increase but not more than the cost of living. More than any other Auburn citizen, in the past few years Potvin has pushed for holding the line on school spending and higher property taxes. He’s butted heads with other committee members who wanted higher budgets.

In March, Potvin was the lone voice on the committee urging members to think about school spending from the taxpayers’ point of view, warning that the proposed 5 percent budget increase was too high. He said the spending increase should not go higher than 3 percent.

Afterward, the City Council demanded a smaller budget. In June, voters supported a $38.2 million budget, which represented a 3 percent increase.

Potvin said he appreciated working with committee members.

“It’s been an interesting time to say the least,” he said. “We’ve had our ups and downs, and our backs and forths.”

He praised the Auburn School Department and School Committee for being committed to education.

“We will miss your unique perspective on things,” Kendall told him.

Kendall said he hoped Potvin would continue to share taxpayers’ thoughts.

“We wish you godspeed in your recovery,” he said.

“I’m going to miss you, Ron,” committee member Bonnie Hayes said.

Superintendent Katy Grondin praised him for being passionate about representing Auburn. “That is such a valuable thing for us.”

After the meeting, Potvin said last year’s surgery was successful; “it’s just the recovery. It’s similar to having a pair of scissors jabbed into your side all the time. It’s very uncomfortable.”

bwashuk@sunjournal.com