Bill Hargis, Woodbury's mayor since 1993, has prostate cancer.
"I figured that in my position, it shouldn't be kept a secret," Hargis said Monday. He announced the diagnosis Friday during a guest appearance at Woodbury's Relay of Life, then participated in the survivors' walk that evening.
"A lot of people came up to share their own stories," he said.
Hargis said he got the news Thursday and will have surgery on Aug. 7 to remove his prostate. The prognosis for recovery is excellent, he said.
Hargis, 59, was elected to the Woodbury City Council in April 1992. He was elected mayor in September 1993. City Council Member Paul Rebholz, the mayor pro tem, will lead the Council for a few weeks after the surgery. Hargis said the City Council will continue its work on Woodbury's 2030 comprehensive plan during his recovery.
"It's scary when you hear the word 'cancer,' " said Hargis, who took his wife, son and his pastor to see his doctor after preliminary tests showed cancer in about a third of his prostate. He said he's made regular medical appointments and he encouraged men 50 and older to get recommended testing.
Hargis said he plans to finish his term, which runs through 2010.
Kevin Giles
