A Rosemount City Council member has resigned after an incident with someone she calls a "political extremist" and city police at her home shook up her family, making her believe she could no longer serve as an unbiased city leader.
The incident also resulted in her son, Daniel Joseph Tesch, 20, being charged with disorderly conduct, along with two others.
Tammy Block, who had served on the council since 2018, resigned at the Sept. 6 City Council meeting.
"I never would have thought a political extremist would show up at my home not once, not twice but three times ... intimidating, threatening and harassing my family," Block said at the meeting. "Given my experience with the process from beginning to end and the situation as a whole, I don't feel I can continue as an impartial council member."
Block said that given the political climate, it could happen again.
The incident occurred on Aug. 2 when a man delivered a petition related to the upcoming primary election to Block's home, in addition to dropping it off at other council members' homes and Rosemount City Hall, Rosemount City Administrator Logan Martin said.
After two unsuccessful attempts earlier that day, Drew William Roach, 37, of Farmington, hand-delivered a petition about 8:30 or 8:45 p.m. seeking to stop the upcoming primary elections, which the petition said were being conducted illegally, Martin said.
"They were basically trying to stop the voting in the primary ... with the machines as presented," said Martin, referencing the electronic voting machines from Dominion that Dakota County loans Rosemount for elections.