Guyton Mayor Andy Harville announced Thursday that he is resigning from public office, effectively immediately.
In a statement provided to The Georgia Virtue, Harville said he was stepping away from the position due to the health reasons. He provided a letter of resignation to the city manager and sent an email to city staff, informing them of the development.
After a lot of thought, I have made the decision to resign as Mayor of Guyton, effective immediately.
This was not an easy decision, but serving in this position has taught me a lot about people, politics, and the realities of local government. I’ve always believed in standing by my convictions and doing what I feel is right, even when it isn’t popular. You can’t please everyone, and I’ve learned that not everyone will see eye to eye with you, no matter how hard you try.
I’m proud of the time and effort I’ve put into Guyton, and I sincerely hope the city continues to grow and move forward.
At the end of the day, politics shouldn’t define us. We’re neighbors, we’re part of the same community, and we need to do a better job of treating each other with respect, putting our differences aside, and remembering to love one another.
Thank you to everyone who has supported me during my time as mayor. I will always appreciate the opportunity I’ve had to serve Guyton.
Harville was elected in 2023 after defeating then-incumbent mayor Russ Deen. Since taking office, Harville facilitated a number of changes with city staff, most notably the rebuilding and rebranding of the Guyton Police Department, the reinstitution of public participation in city meetings – including a return to City Hall, and a number of transparency-centric reforms that worked to improve public trust.
