- Former Climax Mayor Joseph Kelly resigned following his arrest.
- Thursday the city council discussed the next steps during a work session.
- Watch the story to hear what two options the climax community has when it comes to selecting a new mayor.
BROADCAST TRANSCRIPT:
The Climax community came together Thursday evening in a public work session as city leaders addressed the recent arrest of former Mayor Joseph Kelly and his wife, Natalie Kelly.
During the session, the Climax City Council acknowledged the incident and confirmed that Mayor Kelly had officially stepped down from his position.
“Everyone knows about the incident that has transpired with our city mayor,” said Pro-Tem Mayor Vanessa Martin. “He has submitted his resignation and we have accepted it.”
The meeting, while not a decision-making session, served as a forum for city leaders to outline potential paths forward for Climax’s leadership. With this being an election year, Martin explained two options moving forward: either she will continue as acting mayor until the election or the city council could appoint someone to serve in the interim.
Regardless of the option chosen, the mayoral seat will be on the ballot during the November general election.
City officials are urging community members to attend the upcoming council meeting, where more formal decisions are expected to be made. Despite invitations for public comment during Thursday’s session, attendees chose not to speak on the arrests.
The council emphasized that all questions related to the investigation should be directed to the Georgia Bureau of Investigations.
“We know what you know,” said Martin. “We know nothing.”
The next Climax City Council meeting is scheduled for June 9. Community members are encouraged to attend and participate in shaping the city’s leadership moving forward.
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