After a citizen last week publicly called into question whether Statesboro District 1 Councilman Phil Boyum was still a resident of Statesboro, Boyum has again announced his resignation from City Council. This time, he has suggested an Aug. 1 effective date but says he will submit his resignation letter July 16.

During a council meeting 11 months earlier, on Aug. 15, 2023, Boyum announced that he planned to resign effective last Dec. 31. He said that after more than 11 years on the council "It's just time," and in a subsequent interview noted that his parents were moving into a new living situation and that his son had just graduated from high school and was going off to college. 

But at that time, Boyum had also wanted the council to call a special election to the District 1 seat to coincide with last November's regular city election, which already included a council race in District 2. However, City Clerk Leah Harden noted that, with Boyum announcing his resignation in advance, no vacancy had occurred yet, and City Attorney Cain Smith stated that the council could not call a special election without first having a vacancy to fill.

Boyum subsequently remained on the council, stating his intention to do so to the Statesboro Herald, when asked, around the end of 2023. Now, in late June 2024, he has been a council member for 12 years and six months.

Armel speaks up

During the public comments time of the June 18 meeting, Don Armel, who has been active in local politics and ran unsuccessfully for the District 5 seat back in 2018, stood and spoke to the mayor and council, with Boyum present.

First, Armel quoted from Section 2-3 of the Statesboro City Charter, which states: "The mayor and each member of the council of the city shall reside within the corporate limits of the city during their terms of office. If any officer changes residency to one outside of the city, such officer's office shall be declared vacant."

Then he said, "I believe that District 1 has a vacant seat, that Mr. Boyum does not have a residence in Statesboro or in District 1, and with a little effort I found that, using Whitepages(.com), that there is a residence in Gainesville, Florida, for Mr. Boyum currently."

"I haven't lived in Gainesville, Florida, since 1996; oh, I'm sorry, 1998," Boyum responded.

"But there is no current residence for you listed in Statesboro," said Armel.

"Well, I don't know what else to tell you, Don, but I don't live in Gainesville, Florida," Boyum said, but did not reply further at that time.

"I don't mean to make it a debate on this, but I think this is something that the council should consider and look into," Armel said, adding that Boyum had in 2023 left a previous address where he resided on East Main Street "and there is no other location, currently."

An East Main Street address, near City Hall, had previously been Boyum's District 1 address of record with the city. 

When the Statesboro Herald first attempted to interview Boyum on the subject Friday, he was at a Georgia Municipal Association convention in Savannah, where he taught part of a planning and zoning class for other city elected officials from the region. 

Returning a phone call Monday, Boyum said that, before Armel raised the issue, he was planning to announce his resignation at the next meeting in July, seeking to make it effective Aug. 1. Although he has returned to Statesboro for meetings and other activities here, Boyum has been spending much of his time in Florida — not Gainesville, but Viera near the east-central coast — where his parents, now in their upper 70s, are remodeling their home and he is overseeing this work, he said.

In the interview, Boyum provided a post office box, P.O. Box 287, Statesboro, GA 30458, as his local mailing address. He said he has been renting a room in Council District 1, Statesboro, from a friend but is not making that address public so as to honor his friend's wishes.

Boyum's statement

"Had the individual asked, I would have said I've been renting a room from a friend while my professional and personal situation was in flux," Boyum said Monday, indicating he was giving a prepared statement. "I alerted the city attorney to this situation earlier this year, and I would have said my situation is changing again at the second meeting in July, and as such I'm announcing now that I'll be submitting my official resignation from the council as of August 1st, which should give the remaining council members time to call for a special election in November."

City Council's July 2 meeting has been cancelled in advance because of its proximity to July 4 and a traditional summer lull in business decisions. But the council meets next on July 16, and Boyum said the other council members can decide then whether to accept his resignation as effective on that day or on Aug. 1.

"It's been an honor to serve the citizens of Statesboro for 12 years, and I'm proud to leave the city in the best financial shape of the last two decades," Boyum concluded his statement. 

"I've been trying to do right by the citizens of Statesboro, and I'm trying to do right by my parents," he added on the phone. "Nobody can blame me for that."

A shorter statement he posted on social media Monday gave July 16 as the intended date for his resignation letter but did not mention Aug. 1.

First thing July 16

Smith, the city attorney, said the resignation should be the first action item on the council's July 16 agenda.

"I trust Councilman Boyum to tender his resignation as indicated on July 16," Smith said. "Furthermore, council consideration of acceptance of Councilman Boyum's resignation will be done before any other action items are to be voted on."

The council can decide then whether to take the resignation as effective immediately or effective Aug. 1, Smith also said.

"I believe that is a council decision to make and it will be before any other action item on the July 16 agenda," he said.

Smith said that he and Harden, the city clerk, will also have language prepared for a resolution the council can vote on to call a special election.

"In the event that council does accept Councilman Boyum's resignation, we would have that action item on the agenda to have a special election held concurrently with the general election in November," Smith said.

This year, the Nov. 5 election is the federal, state and county election. A special city election can be held on the same date, but Smith said he does not yet know the particulars or when candidate qualifying would be held. Both candidacy and voting will be open only to residents of Statesboro Council District 1.