By Barbara Augsdorfer, editor for the Effingham Herald
Guyton Mayor Andy Harville met with Councilman Theodore Hamby March 21 asking Hamby to resign from his city council post, “to facilitate a fresh start,” and that Hamby’s recent “legal and ethical issues have raised serious concern within our community and government,” Harville wrote in his letter he presented to Hamby. “The integrity of our public offices and the trust of the citizens we serve are of paramount importance.”
Hamby was arrested March 14 by the Georgia Bureau of Investigation (GBI) and charge with two felony counts – theft by taking and financial transaction card fraud.
The case against Hamby is still under investigation.
Hamby refused to resign from his city council post stating that his attorney advised him to wait for the case to be heard before taking any action. His attorney was not present at the March 21 meeting with Mayor Harville. In his email to local media, Harville indicated he is “exploring other possible options to move forward with this matter,” but did not elaborate.
The arrest is only the latest and most serious consequence of Hamby’s actions since taking office in January 2024.
Last summer, Hamby was found to have violated the city’s ethics standards by allegedly using his position as a city councilman for his paid endorsement of Kelly Hoffner’s campaign in her bid for the Effingham County tax commissioner office. The Hoffner campaign refused Hamby’s offer saying it was unethical, and filed the complaint.
After the hearing, the ethics committee asked for a public reprimand for Hamby from the mayor and council, in addition to a public apology from Hamby.
At the Aug. 13, 2024, regular meeting of the city council, Hamby refused to admit wrongdoing and did not apologize.
In April 2024, just three months after taking office, Hamby proposed that the Guyton City Council decriminalize marijuana possession within the city – even though marijuana is a Schedule I substance and possession is still illegal according to federal and Georgia law.
Hamby proposed a city ordinance to decriminalize marijuana within Guyton at the Feb. 12 city council meeting, but the motion failed 4-1. The proposed ordinance was tabled until a town hall meeting could be scheduled to receive public input.
