Special election to be held for Blythe mayor, council member

BLYTHE, Ga. (WRDW/WAGT) - Blythe voters will soon decide on a successor to the recently resigned mayor as well as a City Council member.

The Richmond County Board of Elections on Friday scheduled a March 21 special election for the posts in the 774-person town.

Mayor Curt St. Germaine resigned Thursday. Councilman Edward LaJoie has also resigned.

The special election would be for the unfilled portions of those terms.

Qualifying will be conducted in the city clerk’s office, 294 Church St., from 8 a.m. Monday to noon Jan. 25.

A qualifying fee of $108 will be required upon qualifying for the office of mayor and a qualifying fee of $27 would be required upon qualifying for the office of council member.

The voter registration deadline is Feb. 21.

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In a resignation letter posted on Facebook, St. Germaine said he was “stepping down for personal reasons and wish the city all the best in the future.”

However, in a post accompanying a photo of the letter, he took aim at City Council members.

“It is with a heavy heart that I have resigned from the office of Mayor,” he said in Thursday’s post. “Last night was a perfect example of council members should not bring their personal agenda to a meeting. City Council voted 3 to 2. Councilman LaJoie and myself voted to keep our lawyer while the others voted to fire our city attorney because of their personal reasons.”

He urged voters to “do your research before voting” and to check how council members have voted on issues in the past.

“Don’t vote for someone because you know them,” he said.