Tuesday morning soon after Ginny Hendley was sworn in as the new Statesboro City Council member from District 3 and councilmembers Paulette Chavers and Shari Barr, of Districts 2 and 5, respectively, were sworn in for their second four-year terms, the three women together decided a momentary council divide over who would be mayor pro tem.

Barr, who has been mayor pro tempore the past two years, will continue in that role after a 4-0 vote that was counted as unanimous. The motion by Chavers to reappoint Barr followed a 3-2 vote against a motion by District 4's John Riggs to make District 1's Phil Boyum mayor pro tem, which Boyum seconded after no other council member did.

The councilmembers elected by and from the five districts select a pro tem every two years to lead meetings and fill in at events when the mayor cannot attend or has scheduling conflicts, as Barr did several times in 2023. Immediately after the swearing-in ceremony for the three councilmembers starting new terms, Mayor Jonathan McCollar announced the mayor pro tem process and called for a motion to appoint.

"I would like to see every council member have a chance to be the mayor pro tem, so I'm going to nominate Phil Boyum, who has never been mayor pro tem," Riggs said.

It's true that Boyum, who has now served 11 years on the council, has never been mayor pro tem. Riggs, now the longest-serving current council member after 14 years representing District 4, served a two-year cycle as mayor pro tem, 2018–2019.

Barr and Chavers have now served four years on the council. Chavers was mayor pro tem the first two years, 2020–2021, of their first term, and then Barr was mayor pro tem through 2022 and 2023.

Tuesday, after Riggs said he was nominating Boyum, McCollar called for a second to that motion. But Chavers spoke next.

"I nominate Shari Barr to continue in that role," Chavers said.

McCollar then asked again if there was a second to "the first motion on the floor," meaning Riggs' nomination of Boyum. After a moment, Boyum said he would second it.

But only Riggs and Boyum voted "aye," and the three women voted "nay."

When McCollar asked if there was a second to Chavers' motion, Hendley seconded it. Barr and, at the last moment, Riggs, joined in voting for it, making the "yes" vote at least 4-0. Boyum did not raise his hand, but afterward, City Clerk Leah Harden said she counted the vote as unanimous since Boyum did not vote "nay."

Prayer and ceremony

Before any of that, McCollar had introduced Councilwoman Chavers' brother, Pastor Donald Chavers Jr. of Agape Worship Center, to say the opening prayer. The mayor and councilmembers take turns either saying a prayer at each regular meeting or asking someone from the community to say one.

"Lord, our prayer today is that our leadership here would lead with integrity. It is our prayer that your leadership here would lead from the place of love," Pastor Chavers said, in part. "It is our prayer that if there are any disagreements, that they would agree that they can disagree and find that place where they do agree, and build this community. …"

Judge Lorna Deloach of the Bulloch County Probate Court then administered oaths of office to the three councilmembers starting new four-year terms. Boyum and Riggs are in the middle of their terms and so did not need to be sworn in at this time.

Proceeding in the order of the districts, Chavers was the first to be sworn in. She won re-election last fall over a challenger in District 2.

"Well, I'm just looking to continue the progression that we've already made, looking to make sure that all of those positions in the Police Department are filled, because safety for the city of Statesboro is my number-one priority," she said after the meeting. "I'm looking forward to having a great four years."

Next, Hendley took the oath of office for the first time. Her father, Ray Hendley, founder of Hendley Properties, held the Bible that his daughter put her left hand on as she raised her right hand. Hendley's boyfriend, Garrett Seiber, also accompanied her to the meeting.

Previous District 3 Councilwoman Venus Mack, who served four years, did not seek re-election in 2023, so Hendley ran unopposed after qualifying as a candidate. She is property manager for Hendley Properties and founding owner of three local clothing boutiques.

"I have never been more excited in my entire life. I am working with some great people with the best city that I know," Ginny Hendley said after the meeting.

Barr was last to be sworn in and sign the documents for a new term. She stood unopposed for re-election in District 5, and last year's elections there and in District 3 were actually cancelled, as happens with one-candidate municipal elections in Georgia.

"I appreciate the confidence placed in me and look forward to another four years of service," Barr said after the meeting. "I think we're in a good place and we need to keep moving forward, and it is an ongoing challenge of dealing with all that's to come, the growth, trying to accommodate the local folks that are already here and make spaces for the new folks coming."

Council pay raise

While serving as mayor pro tem, Barr receives a higher part-time salary than the other council members. That was already the case, but the amounts for both were increased, effective Tuesday, Jan. 2, under a resolution approved by the council on a 3-2 vote last July.

Now, the regular, district City Council members will receive $11,000 for the year, up from the previous $7,575, while the mayor pro tem will receive $13,500, up from the previous $9,342. The mayor's salary remains unchanged, at $18,500, as McCollar requested last summer.

Mack spearheaded the move to increase the council pay, which had remained unchanged for almost 20 years.

Boyum stays on

Boyum, who announced in mid-August that he intended to resign effective Dec. 31, remained on the council after city staff members said a November 2023 special election to replace him in District 1 was not legally possible as long as he remained in the seat. 

"I will be serving the rest of my term if circumstances will allow," Boyum said recently in a comment thread on the city government's Facebook page.

His term lasts to the end of 2025.